The Untold
by XxxRosieWeasleyforeverxxX
Summary: The Second Wizarding war is over but another has just begun. Just when Hermione, Harry and Ron begin their lives without fear, new problems show themselves and Hermione goes through some of the worst things imaginable. Can she make it through with just her brains or will she need to trust others to help her? You'll just have to read on and see..
1. Chapter 1

~Chapter one: The new life~

After what would be called The Great War of the Wizarding world, everything that was once abnormal about the world of witches and wizards went back to normal: The stores reopened in Diagon Alley, Hogwarts was returned to its former glory, students began going back to school, people started working at the Ministry of Magic again, and even the heroes of the war began to start life over.

Hermione sat with Harry and Ron in the living room of The Burrow. Even though the loss of Fred, Remus, Tonks and Snape had them mourning over the new life the war had given them, without their friends, they were slowly trying to move on. Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley were the firm foundations of the family, as always, but even their strength was failing. George spent most of his time in his room, not coming out except for meals and if Percy came by to tell him of the twin's Joke shop. Percy and Charlie had taken over the Joke shop because George hadn't been in it since the death of his twin. No one, not even his own brothers, could convince him to go into the Joke shop again. It was still making the most money of all the stores in Diagon Alley. Business was booming and George wasn't there to see it. Percy was determined to talk sense into him, but he wouldn't have any of it. Charlie told him to lay off George for a while and let him mourn over Fred.

Remus and Tonk's little boy, Ted, or Teddy, lives with his grandmother. He comes to visit Harry once a week. He's now about 5 months old. His first word was "Daddy". He was looking at a picture of Remus when he said it and was also with Harry when it happened. Little Ted is looking more and more like both his parents with every time Harry sees him. Harry seems more at peace with himself since the whole battle. He can be with Ginny freely, without worry that Voldemort is going to come back and he can start moving on with his life, as can the rest of the wizarding world.

"What do you reckon we're gunna do now?" Ron asked. Hermione smiled at him. She saw Harry smile too.

"You mean now that all the Deatheaters are gone, Voldemort ceases to exist and all is right with the world?" Harry said, smiling. Ron laughed.

"I suppose we do what we always do." Hermione sighed, looking at her hands. Ron looked at her.

"Hermione, we haven't been in a world where Deatheaters weren't always nipping at our toes or sending us death threats. This is new territory. And not even _you _should know how to handle this." He said, crossing his arms, looking almost smug. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, grinning.

"No, you don't understand. I mean, once a battle is over, we do the usual things, you know? Wash ourselves up and-,"

"Brace ourselves for the next one?" Harry joked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"We rest." she said, like it was so obvious the whole time. Ron looked at her, smirking.

"We've never rested before. Not like this." Ron told her.

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to learn how." Hermione smiled.

"What if I don't want to? What if I still want some adventure? Life-risking tasks! Daring feats!" he raised his hand in the air, grinning.

"_Honestly!_" Hermione exclaimed, looking angry. Ron was so shocked by her sudden change in mood that he slowly brought his fist down and crossed his arms again. She exhaled sharply, looking frazzled. "Look. We've had enough near-death experiences for a lifetime. I know Harry will agree with me, won't you Harry?" she looked at him. Harry knew better than to disagree with Hermione.

"Of course." he said as Ron looked outraged.

"Who's side are you on, mate?!" Ron exclaimed, trying to joke. Harry went to joke back when Hermione glared them down.

"Why are there _always _sides with you, Ronald?! You or I! Besides, Harry should want this whole thing behind us the quickest, don't you think?"

"Speak for yourself, Hermione. Maybe he liked being a dare devil-,"

"Oh, and getting killed?! I don't think so, Ron." Said Hermione crossly.

"You never know! Just because you're brilliant doesn't mean you can read his mind-!"

"Guys, guys! Settle down! I'm not a dare devil. Hermione's right when she says I want to get this whole thing behind me quickly-," Hermione gave Ron a smug smirk of triumph. "-But Ron's right when he says that I don't want to spend the rest of my life being bored out of my skull."

"HA! I win." Ron said in a cocky voice. Hermione gritted her teeth, getting up.

"You're both impossible. I'm going to help Ginny with lunch." She stormed away, into the kitchen. Ron watched her leave.

"Well, that bloody sucks. Now she's angry at me and I didn't even do anything wrong!" Ron exclaimed which was followed by a particularly fiery "I heard that, Ronald!" from Hermione in the kitchen. Harry smirked at him, fiddling with his wand in his hand.

"Girls are like that, mate." said Harry in a more quiet tone. Ron sighed.

"I know. And the worst thing is I love her to bits! But, bloody hell, I didn't think having a girlfriend would be this difficult." Ronald said. Harry smirked at him.

"I know. Just give it some time. You'll get used to it." Harry said smoothly.

"Says the bloke who just started dating my sister." Ron mumbled, which got another "I heard that, Ron!" except from Ginny this time. Ron sighed. "I just don't know if I'm ready to have a girlfriend." Ron whispered to Harry. Harry smiled, sitting back.

"You will be." He said.

Hermione heard that and she swallowed, biting her bottom lip. Ginny saw her face and gave her a comforting smile.

"Don't worry about it, Hermione. Ron's always like that: uncertain about everything." Ginny said, washing a sauce pan. Hermione passed her the dish soap, sighing.

"I know. I just don't want to lose him because I pushed him away. I don't mean to be so bossy all the time." She sounded upset with herself and, truthfully, she was. She always lets her mouth get the better of her. It takes over her sometimes. Ginny smiled at her warmly.

"Of course you don't. That's just the way you are and that's _also_ what he loves about you, Hermione. He's not going to give you up just because you guys disagree over…well, almost everything. He loves you, even if he doesn't always show it. I mean, come on, it's never stopped you guys before." she said to her. Hermione sighed again, looking out the window onto the garden. She watched a gnome pop out of the soil and Crookshanks went chasing after it as it ran. Hermione smiled and realized she wasn't being much of a help to anyone by standing there thinking. She grabbed some dishes.

"Here, I'll put these away for you." she said and put them away in the cupboard neatly as they prepared lunch for the house.


	2. Chapter 2

~Chapter 2: "Twelve fail-safe ways to charm witches"~

A few days after their little row, Hermione and Ron still weren't talking to each other. Mrs. Weasley decided that this had gone too far.

"Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley called from downstairs. Hermione heard her and quickly went down the long, angularly crooked staircases to the kitchen. She stepped inside.

"Yes -? OH MY!" Hermione ducked just in time. A salt and pepper shaker came whizzing over her head. The kitchen was alive with movement. The stove was turning on, a pot boiling on one of the burners, a bowl and ladle were afloat in mid-air, and the ladle was stirring something in the bowl, there was a knife cutting unions, peppers, carrots, etc. on a cutting board, a broom was sweeping up a mess of broken eggs into the garbage can, which was frantically opening and closing its lid to let rubbish inside. Finally, it just gave up and held its lid open while inanimate objects dumped their garbage into it. The salt and pepper whizzed over to the boiling pot on the stove and waited their turn as vegetables, spices and a bottle of oil crowded around, flinging themselves into the pot. The salt and pepper finally got their turn and shook their contents into the pot as well.

Amongst all the hustle and bustle, Mrs. Weasley was standing, in the middle of it all, waving her wand gracefully, like a trained professional. She looked at Hermione and smiled brightly.

"Oh, hello Hermione, dear. Could you tell Ronald that he needs to get in his dress robes?" she asked as she continued to wave her wand. Hermione ducked again as the sauce pan flew over her head and reattached itself to the hook on the wall. Hermione took a deep breath, trying to dodge various flying objects.

"Why does he need to be in his dress robes?" she asked.

"For the party we're holding tonight, my dear. All the family is coming!" Mrs. Weasley explained as she tasted what looked like soup from the pot with a spoon. Hermione looked at her curiously, walking towards her, cautiously staring up at the fast-moving objects. She's seen Mrs. Weasley cook before, but she never saw her doing things this quickly. Either way, she was a dangerous woman in the kitchen.

"What's the occasion?" Hermione inquired.

"No occasion! Just a formal get together that we Weasleys do every once in a while. You might want to get a nice dress too, my dear. I suspect Ginny might have something for you in her room upstairs. Why don't you go see her after you visit Ron?" Mrs. Weasley suggested. Hermione looked at her, standing awkwardly with her.

"Well, you see Mrs. Weasley, Ron and I aren't talking at the moment and-," suddenly, she was swept off her feet, literally. The broom knocked her off her feet and Mrs. Weasley caught her, looking forcefully mother-like.

"My dear," Mrs. Weasley started, looking at her. "I suggest you get out of the kitchen before you hurt yourself. I would really appreciate it if you would pass that little bit of information on to Ronald, seeing as I can't. I still have to make all the food, clean the house and make sure the outside is ready for the tent to go up." She told her. Hermione felt guilty and nodded.

"…Alright. If you need any more help, Mrs. Weasley, just call me." Hermione said, going out of the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley smiled as she left.

"She'll thank me later." She said quietly to herself as she watched her leave, than she went back to work.

Hermione made her way upstairs to Ron's bedroom door. She took a deep breath. "Do this for Mrs. Weasley." She muttered to herself. She knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" said Ron's voice from inside. Hermione opened the door and looked around at the pig sty that was Ron's room. There were clothes everywhere, Quidditch magazines lying in heaps on the ground, his bed was unmade and his drawers from his dresser were hanging wide open. Hermione saw Ron, who was standing in the middle of the mess, looking at her. He wasn't wearing a shirt, only blue jeans and no shoes. He'd obviously just gotten out of the shower. Hermione bit her bottom lip, looking at his slightly muscular chest, taking in his height, his gorgeous face and bright orange hair and freckles. She saved the eyes for last, his beautiful dark green eyes with little flecks of lighter green along the outside of the pupil. She swallowed and shifted her weight uncomfortably, twisting her hands together. She remembered their fight, how he acted and how she wasn't talking to him. Hermione raised her chin slightly to show dominance, looking him in the eyes so she wouldn't have to look down at his gorgeous body again.

"Your mother would like you to get into your dress robes." She said with a strong voice. Ron looked at her, trying to remember how to speak again.

"Uh…oh. Sure." Ron said awkwardly, still kind of surprised she was in here. Hermione licked her lips.

"Your good pair is in your closet. Unless you want to wear those horrible dress robes again…"Hermione said, feeling like laughing, but not daring break the serious emotions in the room. Ron nodded quietly, still looking at her. Hermione stood there for another awkward moment before turning and shutting the door behind her. She replayed what just happened and shook her head, finding herself slightly dazed. She sighed quietly and went across the hall to Ginny's room. She knocked on the door. She didn't hear anything from inside for a moment and then she heard whispering. She listened closely and then she heard the springs from Ginny's mattress creak slightly. A few seconds later, Ginny opened the door. Hermione looked her over. Her normally pin straight long red hair was slightly tangled, her clothes were wrinkled and, what really made Hermione look at her in shock was the fact that she had two hickeys on her neck. Hermione raised her eyebrows and then a wave of realization came over her. She sighed and crossed her arms.

"Harry, get out of there." Hermione said loudly enough for him to hear. Harry slowly came to the door, wearing the clothes he was in yesterday. His shirt was half inside his boxers and his hair was ruffled. He also was wearing lipstick, but not on his lips: basically everywhere else. He looked so innocently at Hermione and smiled.

"Hello Hermione." Harry greeted her, still smiling. Hermione stared him down.

"I should have known better when there was no clothes of yours in Ron's room. I see they've Apperated." Hermione said, looking at the clothing on Ginny's bedroom floor. Ginny flushed deeply, avoiding eye contact.

"Hermione, let me explain-," Harry started but Hermione waved him down.

"I'm not your mother, Harry. I can't tell you what to do and what not to do." Hermione said. Then, she raised her finger to point at him, almost touching the nose of his glasses. "But I'm warning you. If you don't be careful and proactive, I know Mrs. Weasley will. I know she doesn't want another little Weasley-Potter running around the house for _quite_ a while. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" said Hermione in a dangerous tone. Harry looked frightened. He nodded vigorously.

"Yes." He said. Hermione nodded, lowering her hand.

"Good." She turned to Ginny. "Ginny, Mrs. Weasley said to come to talk to you about a dress for this party/get together you guys are having…?" Ginny immediately took the chance to get off the awkward subject.

"Oh yes. Harry, will you excuse us?" Ginny asked. Harry practically leapt out of the room.

"Gladly. I'll go check on Ron." He looked at Ginny, kissed her cheek quickly and ran to Ron's room. Hermione smirked at him as he left and then at Ginny, who was looking sort of scared.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Hermione. I just thought that it was our secret." Ginny said as she and Hermione walked into her room. Hermione laughed.

"Ginny, do you remember Dean Thomas? He was also supposed to be "your secret". That didn't stay a secret for long. Although, you told me about that secret." Hermione said quietly, looking around. Ginny groaned.

"That was because Ron walked in on us! It was a perfectly empty corridor! He wasn't supposed to see that!"

"Neither was Harry." She smirked. Ginny sat on the edge of her bed.

"I can't keep secrets, can I Hermione?" Ginny said, rubbing her forehead. Hermione grinned and sat beside her on the bed.

"Well, let's just say that I wouldn't hire you to be a Secret Keeper professionally. I'm sure if it was someone else's secret, you could keep it relatively to yourself…" Hermione faded off and Ginny looked at her and laughed.

"Alright, enough about my inability to withhold secrets from the world." She got up and went over to her closet. She rummaged through the clothes for a moment and then pulled out a dress with a triumphant look on her face. "Here we go." She held the dress out to Hermione, who got up off the bed and took it. The dress was floor length, and absolutely stunning. It was an amazing shade of dark violet; the skirt flowed out nicely while the body of the dress stayed central. Hermione blinked rapidly, looking at it.

"It's…gorgeous." She said softly. Ginny smiled.

"It's real satin. Actually George and Fred bought it for me before…" her voice faded off, her eyes fading to a darker shade of green. They did that depending on their mood. It was common with red heads. The whole family had mood eyes. Hermione saw it as a warning sign when their eyes went a darker shade of green because that meant they were angry, sad or, in this case, depressed. Hermione looked at Ginny and squeezed her hand.

"Ginny, I couldn't wear this. It's yours." She tried to hand it back but Ginny shook her head.

"Take it. Think of it as a…gift: For being the amazing sister I never had." Ginny said, smiling. Hermione beamed and hugged her.

"Thanks Gin. I'm so lucky to have you as a friend. As much as I love Harry and Ron, a girl needs someone who understands her too. You know, from a woman's point of view." Hermione said as she smiled brightly. Ginny pulled back, nodding and grinning.

"I gotcha. Being raised with six brothers really makes you crave female support." Ginny said. Hermione sighed.

"Well. I guess we should all get ready for this party. I'll see you later." She kissed Ginny's cheek and left with her gorgeous violet dress.

Hermione stood in front of a mirror in her room, looking at herself. She was wearing the violent dress Ginny gave her. It fit her perfectly. The material was amazing, it clung to her curvy body and the skirt flowed outward slightly. She found the pair of lilac heals that she wore to the Yule ball and a drawstring handbag, much like the one she had before the Snatchers grabbed it. The bag held her wand and some extra makeup. Her makeup was light, only some mascara and a bit of eyeliner with lipstick to match the dress. She'd slicked her bushy brown hair so it was piled partially on her head and the rest was hanging down in graceful curls at the side of her face. She looked absolutely stunning. She was scared though. What if the Weasley relatives didn't approve of her, like Ron's aunt? She'd be devastated, seeing as she loved Ron so much and would hate to disappoint him. She wanted to talk to Ron. She wanted to set things straight. But she knew she couldn't. Not yet, at least. She hoped things would resolve before the guests got here so he could introduce her to his family and she wouldn't have to do it alone.

Hermione walked out of her bedroom, down the stairs, out the back door and into the backyard. She stood at the edge of the house, watching the Weasley boys and Harry put the huge white tent up. She flashbacked to Bill and Fleur's wedding. It was such an amazing night, but also a scary one. She danced with Ron for the first time at that wedding. It was amazing how clumsy he really was. But she didn't care. It was well worth getting her toes stood on.

"On the count of three! One!" Mr. Weasley shouted, raising his wand as everyone else did so. "Two! Three!" they raised the tent so it hovered in mid-air. Once it was set, Mrs. Weasley, followed by a parade of floating food, came marching into the tent. She used her wand to make tables appear and the food set itself neatly on the tables at the back of the tent. Hermione went in too, with Ginny and Fleur, who just arrived two hours previously. Ginny and Fleur went to help Mrs. Weasley while Hermione was in charge of decorations. She put up gorgeous blue and silver streamers along the ceiling of the tent, hanging them gracefully, then pinning them with extravagant bows. Hermione conjured a long carpet and she flicked her wand to unroll it all the way down to the end of the tent, where Mrs. Weasley and the others were standing. Hermione also, just for effect, made little silver butterflies appear. They flew around the tent, never landing, just flying to give it that extra special touch. Hermione smiled softly at them, looking up and then over where the boys were standing. She saw Ron coming towards her. Her smile melted again. He looked at her, stuffing his hands in his black pant pockets. He looked devilishly handsome in his dress robes. Fred and George kept their promise and bought their brother new ones, thank heavens. His red hair was styled so it looked messy in the best way. Ron looked at Hermione with a slight smile on his face.

"You've always had a knack for decorating." Ron told her. Hermione flushed, looking down. Then she remembered. He said the same thing at Bill and Fleur's wedding…

"...Don't you think that's getting a little old, Ronald?" Hermione asked, regaining her fearlessness and looking at him, crossing her arms. Ron looked confused.

"What are you on about-?"

"'You've really got an eye for that sort of thing'? Don't you remember?" she sighed. "You don't, do you?" she turned and strode away, towards the house. She was shocked all of this was coming out of her mouth, that she was being so cruel. She was reminded of that time outside the tent when Harry, Ron and she were on the run. Ron had just come back after weeks of being away and she yelled at him and hit him and treated him badly. He deserved it that time…but now? She didn't think so. But, her stubborn side got the best of her and she just kept walking. She wasn't going down without a fight.

"Well, you are! Is it illegal to compliment you now or something?!" Ron exclaimed, striding into the house after her. Hermione went through the living room.

"A used compliment? Really? It's like you got it from a book!" Hermione exploded. The uncomfortable silence that followed made Hermione turn around and look at Ron, who was looking down and was now a bright shade of magenta. She realized what she said was true. Ron met her eyes and she shook her head lightly, an undesirable hatred forming in her gut. She turned around again and kept walking towards the stairs, fuming.

"Hermione, wait-,"

"Were all the compliments that you gave me from a book, Ronald? Were they all written by someone else and you just read them and decided 'Oh, it'd be funny to try this on Hermione!' Well guess what, Ron?!" she spun on him, halfway up the stairs. "I have feelings! I'm not just a person that you can practise your bloody love sayings on!" Shut up, Hermione, shut up. Hermione's brain was fighting with her heart.  
"I know that! Bloody hell! I've known that for a long time! I was just-,"  
"Stupid? Idiotic? Highly illogical? Sense-,"  
"Nervous! I'd never complimented a woman before! But I meant it. I meant every word! Just think, you can't mean everything you say out of _your_ books!" Ron countered, still following her up the stairs. Hermione turned on him again.  
"_I don't quote things that make people feel amazing until they figure out it's from a book!" _Hermione hissed her voice deadly. Ron recoiled, trying to find a comeback as she whipped around and continued upstairs to her room.  
"Hermione, please just listen to me!" Ron begged as they entered her bedroom. Hermione looked for another exit but, the only ones were the door and the window. The door was being blocked by Ron. Hermione turned and tried striding out the door, but Ron just stood there, arms crossed. Hermione got frustrated.  
"Ronald, let me out." she snarled. Ron shook his head.  
"Not until you hear me out."  
"Ron! Let me out!" Hermione pushed against his chest but he wouldn't budge. She backed up, pulled her wand from her bag and opened her mouth. Ron was too quick. He whipped his wand out.  
"_Expelliarmus!_" he said quickly. Her wand flew out of her hand and into his. He stowed them in his back pocket as Hermione's mouth hung open in shock and outrage.  
"H-How… how _dare_ you! Give me back my wand, _now!"_ Hermione growled, trying to reach it, her hands in claws. Ron grabbed her hands and she struggled to get away from him. "Get your hands off me!"  
"Not until you hear me out!" Ron shouted over her. Hermione kept going, trying to get away from him, at full rage.  
"Ronald Bilius Weasley! You are an absolute git! You foul, nasty, idiotic prick!" she yelled. Ron sighed as she continued to scream insults at him.  
"Well, I guess it's on to Plan B." he said quietly. Hermione didn't notice.  
"I dislike you! No. I _detest_ you! I hope you go and get a Stinging Jinx right up your-," Hermione was interrupted when Ron pulled her close and smashed his lips onto hers with force and passion. A shock went through Hermione's body and soon, her struggles became less and less as her eyes closed. Soon, her hands went limp and she laid them on his chest, than put them around his neck. She was totally lost in the kiss. It became gentler, more soft and tender-like. After what seemed like a lifetime, Ron pulled back, opening his eyes to see Hermione standing there, her hands going to her face, her eyes still closed as she breathed shallowly.

He grinned at her as she opened her eyes to meet his. Hermione was, for once, speechless. Ron moved a curl out of her face, smiling brightly.  
"You know, Hermione…" He mumbled softly. "…You never were one to listen." Hermione said nothing still. She felt dizzy and perplexed. "You were always the more physical type." Hermione stood there, looking into his eyes. Ron stroked her cheek. "Hermione…you're not just someone I'd just quote something to. Okay, so I got a couple compliments out of a book for idiots. But I meant it. Bloody hell, I've never meant anything more than I have when I'm complimenting you." he said softly. Hermione saw the truth in his eyes. "If you listen to anything that I say ever, listen to this, okay?" When she nodded, Ron took a deep breath and cupped the side of her face. "…I love you."  
Hermione stared at this boy that had grown up so much over the past couple months right in front of her eyes. She couldn't believe he was the little red headed boy on the Hogwart's Express that tried to turn his pet rat yellow. He'd become a man so quickly. How did that even happen? She couldn't tell. She simply looked at Ron and that cute smile only Hermione could do appeared on her face.  
"…I love you too." Hermione told him. Ron smiled at her and hugged her close in his long arms. Hermione felt safe there. She felt at home. "I'm sorry Ron. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you like that. I had no right-,"  
"No, you had every right. I can be a real git sometimes." Ron admitted.  
"I just want everything to go back to the way it was. I know I'm a bossy know-it-all that likes to verbally murder people now and again, but I hope you aren't put off by it." Hermione said. Ron smirked at her.  
"Hermione, if I was put off by bossiness and verbal murder, I would have let you get mauled by that troll in the girl's lavatory when we were First Years." Ron told her pointedly, trying not to laugh. Hermione gave him a glare and lightly hit his chest.  
"You wouldn't have survived without my guidance. Swish and flick, remember?" Hermione grinned. Ron pulled the wands out of his back pockets and cleared his throat.  
"Swish-," he swished the wands. "And flick." He flicked them. Just then, a spout of fire nearly hit Hermione's shoulder. She shrieked and jumped sideways as the flame caught her bed sheets, setting them on fire. Hermione grabbed her wand.  
"_Aguamenti!_" she cried. Water shot from her wand and put out

The flames, leaving her bed spread knarred and burnt. Her mattress was also burnt. She sighed. "I'm going to have to review my charms notes again." She said quietly, stowing her wand in her purse again. Ron flushed, his ears going bright red.

"Sorry." He muttered, embarrassed. Hermione giggled at him.

"Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out. For now, let's go and help with the party." She smiled and took his hand, towing him downstairs. Hermione saw that guests had already started to arrive. She froze mid-way through the living room, listening to them talk, looking at the sea of ginger hair. She swallowed. Ron squeezed her hand.

"You look gorgeous." He said quietly in her ear. Hermione smiled. "And that's something I didn't get from my book." Ron grinned and they set into the huge swarm that was the Weasley family.


	3. Chapter 3

~Chapter 3: Mudblood~

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Mr. Weasley stood on a chair in the tent, putting his wand to the side of his mouth to amplify his voice. He smiled brightly at the crowd, who all shushed and turned to look at him. "Thank you so much for coming here today! We're all very glad to host this years' Weasley get together! Welcome to the Burrow!" He smiled as the crowd clapped. "Now, my wife and I would like to ask you to please enjoy yourself, eat lots-," he gestured to the food table, which seemed endless. "And have a magnificent time!" Mr. Weasley got down off the chair as the crowd clapped for him. He went and greeted several of his relatives.

Hermione watched the people chatting amongst their groups. There were children running around, playing tag outside the tent while the adults stood and talked with one another. She recognized some people from the wedding but some she didn't recognize. Ron took her to the tent where she spotted Harry and Ginny going around, already mingling with the guests. Ginny introduced him as her boyfriend, Harry, not Harry Potter, but people still asked him questions about the battle and what happened. Harry kept it short and sweet, to the point. Everyone he met seemed to love him and Ginny looked very relieved.

Ron introduced Hermione as "This is Hermione, my girlfriend." Every time he said it, his face lit up like a Christmas tree. Most of the Weasley relatives were absolutely thrilled with meeting Ron's girlfriend. That was, until they came to Ron's Aunt Muriel. Hermione watched her come towards them. She gripped Ron's arm much too hard, her eyes widening.

"Ron. Your aunt. Please." She whispered frantically. Ron saw her and tried to leave but it was too late.

"Yoo-hoo! Ronald!" Aunt Muriel's voice trilled annoyingly as she came forth, waving her lace handkerchief. They both froze with their backs turned. Muriel came up to them, smiling from ear to ear. You could already see a plot forming in the back of her mind. "How are you, my dearie?" she asked, her voice silky sweet as she kissed his cheeks, leaving lipstick stains.

"I'm fine Aunt Muriel, how are you?" Ron asked, trying to make it sound like he cared. Muriel beamed at him.

"Oh, simply _smashing _darling!" her little beady eyes traveled from Ron to Hermione in a lethal way. Hermione put on her most charming smile. "Say, Ronald. Who is this…" she struggled to find words. "…intriguing young lady?" she inquired, looking at Hermione. Hermione tightened her grip on his arm.

"This is Hermione, my girlfriend." He beamed, as usual. Hermione felt her stomach drop to the souls of her lilac heals. Aunt Muriel's eyes glinted with a sort of success. They looked like she'd just won the lottery. On the outside, she looked slightly disgusted.

"Your girlfriend…?" she asked as though she didn't hear it the first time. Ron nodded and Hermione felt herself go cold, but she kept her smile bright. Muriel looked disappointed. "Oh. Haven't we met before, my dear?" she asked sweetly. Hermione nodded, still smiling.

"Yes, at Bill and Fleur's wedding. Remember?" Hermione asked.

"You said she had "bad posture and skinny ankles"." Ron cut in, sounding slightly sour. Muriel smiled.

"Ah, yes, now I remember you!" she looked Hermione up and down. "Hmm…it seems you haven't changed." Muriel said. Just then, she deliberately looked down at Hermione's arm. "…What's that on your arm, my dear?" she inquired. Hermione hid her arm behind her back, flushing.

"It's nothing." She brushed off, but Muriel grabbed her wrist, holding it out so she could see her forearm. Hermione looked at it and saw the word "Mudblood" on her arm, carved into the skin by Bellatrix's knife on the night she was tortured. It was a scar now, but since Bellatrix cut deep into her arm, she knew it would never go away. It would always be there to remind her of what she was: A Mudblood.

"Oh my!" Muriel exclaimed. "Are you a Mudblood?" she asked her. Hermione pulled her arm away, holding it to her side. She looked at her and nodded. Aunt Muriel looked from her to Ron and shook her head, tsking lightly. "Ronald, would you mind if I had a word with you alone?"

"Yes, I would mind. Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of Hermione." He said, holding her hand. Hermione shook her head.

"Ron-." She tried to whisper, but Aunt Muriel started talking again.

"Very well. I don't think you two should be together." She said bluntly, looking at them. Hermione's mouth hung open a little. Muriel patted her arm. "I'm sorry if this offends you, my dear, but a Mudblood Ronald? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Can't you do better than that? I mean, she's not even a real witch!" she said in a high, outraged voice, while still having a smile planted on her lips. "Would you _really_ risk the pureness of our blood, Ron? The Weasley family have been Pure bloods for many generations! You can do so much better than her, Ronald." Muriel told him. Ron looked too shocked to talk. Hermione swallowed hard. She felt anger build up in the pit of her stomach. She reached for her wand, but she felt someone grab her other hand. She looked over to see Ginny there, looking as angry as she felt.

"I think we've heard quite enough from you, you old hag." Ginny snarled. Aunt Muriel looked like someone had slapped her.

"H-How _dare_ you! How dare you insult me in such a manner-," Muriel shrieked. The crowd seemed to go quiet.

"No, how dare_ you!_" Ginny shouted back. "How dare you call my best friend a Mudblood! She's twice the witch you are!" Ginny yelled. Hermione tugged on her arm.

"Ginny, calm down. It's fine-,"

"It's _not _fine! You don't deserve this." Ginny said angrily. Aunt Muriel looked like she was about to take Ginny's head off.

"She's an abomination! A freak of nature!" Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came striding over to see what the problem was.

"What's going on here?" Mr. Weasley asked sharply, Mrs. Weasley looking from Hermione, to Ginny, to Muriel, then her husband.

"I have been insulted greatly by your daughter!" Muriel told him, holding her handkerchief to her bosoms with her chin high, on defensive-mode.

"Ginny, is this true? You know how to treat guests, don't you?" Mr. Weasley inquired, looking at his fuming daughter.

"Dad! She called Hermione a Mudblood!" Ginny said, trying to make him understand how horrible that was, like he didn't already know. Mr. Weasley pursed his lips, turning to Muriel again.

"Is this true?" Mr. Weasley asked her. Muriel sputtered, going extremely red in the face.

"Well, I was simply reminding your son of the Weasley family blood status! This girl is not of pure blood, Arthur. Did you know that?"

"Yes, we did." Mr. Weasley said, getting angry at her. Mrs. Weasley stepped up.

"We've always known. There's nothing wrong with Hermione whatsoever in our minds. We love her as if she was our own daughter-," she said, her head raised high.

"She's part of our family, and nothing can change that. Not even her blood status." Mr. Weasley said firmly.

"_Especially_ not her blood status." Mrs. Weasley put her hands on Hermione's shoulders. "That doesn't matter to us in the least. And if it matters to you all that much, then you can leave." Mrs. Weasley told her. Aunt Muriel looked outraged, her face completely red and parts of her eye twitching madly. She took a deep breath.

"Well, I don't see any point in_ me_ leaving. I'm your Aunt. Just mark my words, Ronald-," She pointed a well-manicured talon at Ron who jumped, looking at her. "You'll be disappointed if you keep this one." She gestured to Hermione before she turned, her shawls twirling as she went, and disappeared into the crowd, going to find more Champaign. Everyone exchanged looks and turned back to their conversations. Hermione looked down at her hands, twisting them awkwardly, biting her lip. This was exactly what she was afraid of. Mrs. Weasley kissed Hermione's cheek in a motherly way.

"Don't you worry, dear. Muriel never was one to enjoy new people's company." She said comfortingly. Hermione gave her a tiny smile of reassurance.

"It's fine." She said quickly, but Ginny shook her head, still looking incredibly angry.

"It's _not_ fine. She had no reason to treat you like that." Ginny growled, crossing her arms. Hermione shrugged like she didn't care.

"It's nothing I can't handle." She gave them all smiles. Harry had come over and she hadn't noticed him. He pretended to smile back, but he looked angry too. "Alright, enough about that. Harry, I demand you take Ginny to dance. I'll be right back. I have to go fix my hair." Hermione lied. Harry nodded and offered his arm to Ginny. They walked out onto the dance floor. Hermione went to go inside and Ron followed her for a moment but Hermione turned and looked at him.

"I need a moment, okay Ron? I'll be back." She pecked his cheek and went into the crowd of people who were watching her strangely. She even saw a witch looking at her forearm. She swallowed and half ran to the washroom. She locked herself in and looked at herself in the mirror. Aunt Muriel's words rung loud in her ears. "She's an abomination! A freak of nature! She's not even a real witch!" Hermione leaned against the sink, bowing her head. She saw her forearm again. She stared at "Mudblood". She once told Griphook, the Goblin that she was proud to be a Mudblood. She was proud to represent a lower class of witches, like he represented a lower class of creature. But she knew even _she_ wasn't smart enough to lie to herself. She was drunk with pride when she told Griphook that. It was obvious now that like the time in the courtyard with Malfoy, the first time she was called a Mudblood, it still hurt to be called something so horrible to the tongues of witches and wizards. She could just picture her children being teased because her mother is a Mudblood. She couldn't imagine how she would explain that word to them.

Hermione decided that this encounter, although it was unpleasant, was nothing. She was going to enjoy herself. She was going to go out, dance with the man she loves and not care about what her blood status was. She was Hermione Granger, an accomplished witch that had a fantastic life that she needed to start living. She tucked her bangs behind her ear, put a dazzling smile on her face and walked outside to Ron. She wound her arm through his, smiling at him.

"Let's get a drink." She said to him smoothly. Ron grinned, kissed her hand and they went to find some Firewhisky.


	4. Chapter 4

~Chapter 4: The Might of Magic~

"Hermione? Hermione, wake up!"

Hermione heard a voice calling her. She stirred, opening her eyes. She focused in on the fuzzy white and red blob that was in front of her face and she saw Ginny leaning over top of her, shaking her shoulder. Hermione rubbed her eyes, trying to focus on what Ginny was saying.

"-Got to get up! Mum wants to show you something. It's urgent." Ginny told her. Hermione nodded sleepily, trying to wake up.

"Alright, give me a moment. I'll meet you downstairs." She said quietly. Ginny nodded and she went out of her room. Hermione laid there for a moment, wondering what was happening. She remembered the party last night: she drunk lots of Firewhisky, she danced with Ron until she couldn't dance anymore and then she remembered bidding Ron goodnight after she helped with the clean-up. She remembered their soft kiss before Ron went into his room. She smiled very lightly to herself and got up. She pulled on some jeans and a sweatshirt and traveled down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Mrs. Weasley?" she noticed something odd: there was no breakfast made. There was always something cooking on the stove, or tea brewing, or a broom sweeping some mess up. But the kitchen was completely empty and utterly still. Hermione's eyebrows rose in shock but that was when she heard Mrs. Weasley's voice from the living room. Hermione went out of the kitchen and peeked in where her voice came from.

Everyone was there. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, Percy, Charlie, Bill, Fleur, even George had come down out of his room. Hermione was shocked to also see Hagrid there, slouching to avoid smacking his head off the ceiling. None of them smiled when she entered the room. Not even Hagrid. They were all crowded around the coffee table, some sitting on the couch, others standing behind them. Their faces looked quite terror-stricken, paler than usual, and their eyes flamed with worry. Hermione looked at them curiously, her face going pale and transforming into worry as well.

"…Hello everyone…what's going on?" she asked them, looking at each of their faces. No one moved for a moment, but then Bill came forward and handed her what looked like a newspaper, avoiding eye contact. Hermione took it and opened the newspaper. She immediately saw the heading at the top of the page: "_Kingsley Shacklebolt demoted for narrow views." _Hermione felt her stomach drop into her shoes. Her mouth dropped open. She looked at them and they all looked down or away from her. Hermione turned her attention back to the newspaper and started reading the paragraph under Kingsley's moving picture, aloud.

"_After no more than two months of being in power, Kingsley Shacklebolt was voted out of his position as Minister for Magic. The Wizengamot reports that Shacklebolt, despite most of their objections, tried to disable the _Muggle-Born Registration Commission,_therefore releasing all muggle-borns who were sent to Azkaban after being questioned of their magical backgrounds. _

_ Despite The Wizengamot's objections to this disablement, a narrow-minded Shacklebolt decided that it was best to go through with the disabling of the _Muggle-Born Registration Commission. _Seeing as Shacklebolt decided to ignore their protests against the matter, the Wizengamot called a vote on whether they should replace the Minister. After two days of lengthy voting, Kingsley Shacklebolt was officially voted out as Minister for Magic and henceforth, prohibited to ever again be employed in the Ministry, therefore firing him from any jobs the Ministry may have provided him in the past. The new Minister for Magic, Adolf Xavier assured the Wizengamot that he wouldn't be as closed-minded about the Muggle-Born situation._

_ "This is a very touchy subject for me," says Xavier to Daily Prophet publisher Andy Bronco. "My wife and two kids were killed by Muggle-Borns. The Ministry didn't even hold them on trial for the murder of my family. They were let go after evidence suggested that they were under the Imperious Curse, but I believe that was a false trail. I want to bring a new hope to the Ministry and assure them that what happened to me will never happen to anyone else. I will rid the Wizarding World of this filth once and for all and make our world safe once again."_

_ Xavier has reinitiated the Muggle-Born Registration Commission as of yesterday. Any people that are in question for being Muggle-Born and haven't yet come in for evaluation will be found and taken in for questioning. Xavier assures everyone that after the task of ridding the Wizarding World of all Muggle-Borns is completed; the Wizarding World will be a much better place for all Magical beings."_

Hermione stared at what she just read in shock. She looked up at everyone. Percy was pacing and muttering to himself, Ginny sat with Fleur exchanging looks of unease, Mr. Weasley was rubbing his forehead, looking very distraught, Mrs. Weasley sat down on a rocking chair, her mind off somewhere else, Charlie and Bill concentrated on a place far away. Hagrid looked angry under his big scruffy beard and Harry and Ron looked at Hermione and exchanged a glance with one another.

"This…this is outrageous. They can't do this! They can't fire Kingsley! He was a permanent Minister! They can't just replace him because of one disagreement between them!" Hermione said sharply.

"Except they can and did, Hermione. Kingsley isn't allowed anywhere near the Ministry. He's been banned from entering it ever again." Said Bill. Hermione looked at him quickly.

"B-but, they can't just kick him out! The law says that-,"

"Only the Wizengamot can vote for a new Minister. They have the ultimate decision. Either they vote a Minister out, or he resigns or he dies. He's sworn under oath to  
step down if the Wizengamot decide to vote him out of office." Mr. Weasley said  
his voice looked

"This is rubbish." She muttered, looking at the front cover in disgust as Kingsley's face stared at her.

"Wait till you read the rest." Ginny told her, crossing her arms.

"Turn to page three." Ron said his voice quieter than usual. Hermione did as instructed and, to her horror; she saw a picture of someone she never wanted to lay eyes on again: Professor Umbridge.

"What the bloody…?" she looked down and read the shorter paragraph below that picture. "_Dolores Umbridge, previous undersecretary and the Head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission was released from Azkaban today by the Minister for Magic. She will now assist Adolf Xavier in interrogation of the Muggle-Borns once again…" _Hermione's mouth dropped open. "…This…this is utter rubbish!" she didn't have any other words. Finally, Bill walked over and pointed to the bottom of the page.

"Look." Was all he said. Hermione looked down at where his finger was pointing and saw list of names. The title above the names said "_Muggle-Born search list"._ Hermione's heart sank. She looked at the list and she saw it…at the very top of the list: _Hermione Granger._ She was most wanted out of all the other Muggle-Borns. She felt herself go cold and the paper slipped from her shaking fingers. This couldn't be happening…not again. Not after all she'd been through to fight for her right as a Muggle-born. She heard someone get up and suddenly Ron had his arm around her, holding her trembling form close.

"Its gunna be okay, Hermione. Don't worry. We'll teach you how to hide yourself in our family tree. We'll make sure that-," he started but Hermione interrupted him.

"I-it's done…" she said, her voice shaking. "I…_I'm_ done."

"Don't be thick, Hermione. You aren't done-," Harry started, getting up too. Hermione turned on him, on the verge of a panic attack.

"I _am_ done! Don't you see? They know _exactly_ what blood status I am! They have me on record! They're tracing me, like every other Muggle-Born out there!" she pointed out the window.

"Hermione, please. Don't worry. We'll-," Ron tried again but Hermione just pushed herself away from him and yanked up the sleeve of her sweatshirt, revealing her forearm and the word "Mudblood" etched into it.

"Do you know what this is, Ronald? Do you?" when he didn't answer, she continued. "This is my ticket to Azkaban! When they see this, they won't even question me! When they see this, I'm _through_!" she said, her breath coming up in ragged little spurts through her lips. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She felt like someone was squeezing her lungs until she couldn't draw breath. The room was silent for a moment until Mrs. Weasley came forward and took her in her arms, pulling her close.

"It's okay, dear. It's okay. Take deep breaths." She comforted, whispering in her ear. Hermione put her arms around Mrs. Weasley, holding her tightly, trying to obey, but having trouble.

"…Dad, do you think we could try hiding her somewhere? Do you think it would work?" Charlie asked. George looked at his mum and Hermione and down again, staying completely silent while Percy stopped pacing and went over to his dad.

"They have new means of finding Muggle-Borns that no one has seen before." Percy told them. "I saw the documents before I left the Ministry. Apparently, the term Mudblood refers to Muggle-borns _literally_. The Ministry say that there was an old spell that Salazar Slytherin used to find Muggle-borns. When someone of great power says the spell, it accesses the white blood cells in a Muggle-Born's body and it makes them easier to find. Also, it causes the Muggle-Born to become…very sick." Percy said quietly. Ron looked at him sharply.

"What do you mean by "very sick"?" Ron asked, turning on him. Percy stood back slightly.

"Well, the person would experience extreme pain, they'd become physically sick, they would become weak. The spell was designed to weaken them, make them vulnerable. The spell hasn't been used in centuries. It was prohibited, even more so than the Unforgivable Curses." Percy explained. Mr. Weasley nodded, understanding exactly what his son was saying.

"How is the spell stopped? Is there a counter curse?" Ginny asked. Percy shook his head.

"No, not that anyone has found. But this is for certain: once the spell is said, it cannot be stopped until the person who cast it finds the people they're looking for." Percy said to them. Hermione pulled back from Mrs. Weasley, looking at them. Percy looked at her.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. But it can't be helped." He told her. Hermione swallowed, trying to regain her emotions. She felt like crying.

"No! This _can_ be helped! We've been through this already! We'll hide her!" Ron said, his voice angry as he glared at Percy. Percy shook his head and turned away from him.

"Ron, please listen. When the Ministry accesses the curse, they'll be able to find Hermione within seconds. We can't just hide her. They'll find her in any place." Charlie said, looking at his upset brother. Ron refused to believe it.

"No. We can go on the run. W-we can…we can take her to Hogwarts! We can hide her there! Remember! Hagrid!" he turned to Hagrid. "There's no place safer than Hogwarts!" Ron said, his voice desperate. "Please, we've gotta do something."

"Well, we can see if Professor McGonagall could help her in some way. Maybe she knows a counter curse." Suggested Bill. The whole family seemed to be in agreement with the situation.

"Well, if we're going to Hogwarts, we'd better pack our trunks." Ginny said, getting up. Everyone else did as well.

"Alright kids, pack light." Mrs. Weasley said, whipping out her wand, striding away to the laundry room. "Your clothes will be in your rooms momentarily." Mr. Weasley went upstairs with Bill, Charlie, and Percy to get dressed and ready to go. Even Hagrid was bounding out of the house with his magical pink umbrella. Hermione turned and looked at Harry, Ron, Ginny, and George.

"Well, we'd better get packed, mate." Harry lightly smacked Ron's arm and took Ginny's hand. He looked at Hermione, who was feeling extremely guilty now. Harry smiled lightly at her and kissed her cheek in a brotherly way. "Don't worry, Hermione. We'll keep you safe." He assured her. Hermione looked at Harry with guilt in her eyes.

"Do you remember that time at Privet drive when seven of us turned into your appearance to protect you?" she asked him. Harry nodded, looking at her curiously, trying to see where she was going with that comment.

"…Well, right now, I feel exactly how you felt back then." Hermione said quietly, looking at Harry. Harry gave Hermione a sympathetic smile.

"C'mon. We have to hurry." Ron said flatly, taking Hermione upstairs as Harry and Ginny and George followed. That's when George talked to them for the first time since Fred's death.

"Off to Hogwarts again."

at him and then at the newspaper again.


	5. Chapter 5

~Chapter 5: Back to Hogwarts~

"Arthur dear, I don't think this is a good idea." Mrs. Weasley said anxiously, looking at the Flying car that had been wrecked by the Whomping Willow in Harry and Ron's second year at Hogwarts by none other than the two boys when they flew that to Hogwarts when they missed their train. It had been repaired nicely, all shiny and new. They stood outside their front yard, near the parked car. "Can't we just use something a little less...risky? Like the Floo Network?" she suggested. Mr. Weasley shook his head.

"No Molly. The Ministry patrols the Floo Networks. This is the safest way into Hogwarts. Trust me." he looked so excited as he put the trunks in the back. Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Percy and George had already Apperated to Diagon Alley. Mrs. Weasley looked at the car and then over at the broomsticks Ron and Harry were holding.

"We have to hurry, darling." Mrs. Weasley urged.

"Alright Molly dear," he turned to Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione. "Alright. Harry, you'll fly with Ginny in the front. Ron, you and Hermione fly in the middle, and Mum and I will fly at the back. Okay?" Mr. Weasley asked. All five of them nodded. "Alright. Good. Mount your brooms." He opened the passenger side of the car for Mrs. Weasley, then he shut the door when she got in and got in the driver's side as Harry and Ginny got on one broom and Ron and Hermione got on the other. Mr. Weasley started the engine of the little blue car and looked out the window at them.

"On the count of three!" Mr. Weasley said. Harry and Ginny kicked off, and so did Ron and Hermione. Ginny and Hermione wrapped their arms around the boys so they wouldn't fall. "One! Two! Three!" they began flying. The car took off with a great burst of speed as the brooms flew quickly. Hermione held tightly to Ron, hating being on a broom. She was terrified of heights. She felt her hair blowing back as they sped up, the Burrow disappearing as they flew up into the clouds. Hermione did a horrible thing and peeked downwards. She felt her stomach rise into her mouth, trying not to scream in terror because of how far down the ground was from where they were. She grasped so hard onto Ron's waist that he could hardly breathe.

"Hermione. Hermione, please. I can't…I can't breathe!" Ron hollered, the wind making it hard for them to hear. Hermione buried her face into his back and slowly loosened her arms slightly, just so that he could breathe. They flew into London, making sure they were high enough that the clouds covered them so no one could see them from the ground.

After a while of flying, they were over the water of The Black Lake and closer to Hogwarts than ever. They flew over to the gates where Harry landed first, then Ron, then Mr. Weasley. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley got out of the car and Mr. Weasley pressed a button on the dashboard to make it invisible, then he locked the car. Harry and Ginny got off their broom no problem. Ron steadied himself on the ground and got off the broom. Hermione tried to get off, but she ended up tripping over her own feet and falling flat on her face. She was shaking so hard all over, she couldn't figure out how to move her legs to get back up. Thankfully, Ron helped her up and they all went over to the gates where Hermione saw a familiar face: Professor McGonagall. She looked no different than before, wearing emerald-colored robes and a pointy black hat. Her hair was slicked back into a tight bun as usual and she peered over her square-lensed glasses at them. She opened the gates and went out to greet them.

"Hello Arthur, Molly." she said crisply. "Let's get them inside. I just got your Owl ten minutes ago. We'd better get Miss. Granger inside before anything happens. Your luggage will be sent upstairs momentarily."

"Thank you, Minerva. Are you sure this is okay? To be hiding her here?" Mr. Weasley asked. McGonagall nodded quickly, getting them on the other side of the fence, than putting a protective charm over it.

"Of course. Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for It." she said as they walked up the yard towards the stairs. She looked at Hermione over her glasses as she walked. "Besides, I think Hogwarts owes quite a bit to the three of you. Come, quickly! I have the perfect place for you to hide." She said quickly, striding up into the school, through the corridors. They traveled up the moving staircases, people greeting them with smiles as they went. Hogwarts was indeed returned to its former glory. A fuzzy, warm feeling filled her chest when she saw the moving portraits on the walls, clapping for them as they went by. She smiled brightly at Sir. Nicholas who greeted them with a floppy-headed hello before he disappeared again. Hermione felt at home at last.

McGonagall lead them up to the Seventh Floor where they came across a familiar corridor.

"The Room of Requirement?" Ron asked, looking at the bare wall. "I thought it was damaged by that fire curse."

"It was, Mr. Weasley, but there are many rooms you can wish for. Just because one is damaged, doesn't mean the others are also." McGonagall explained. She shut her eyes, stepped forward towards the wall and, seconds later, doors appeared against the wall like they'd been there the entire time. McGonagall opened the doors and they stepped inside. The room was spacious and very bare other than a number of beds lined along the sides of the room and a fireplace at the back with comfortable-looking couches around it.

"So, I believe you are all familiar with the Room of Requirement. All you have to do is say what you require and it'll appear. If you don't need anything else, I have to make sure the rest of your family arrived here safely." McGonagall said. Mr. Weasley nodded.

"Thank you Minerva. I'll come with you." He said and they turned and left again. The doors shut and Mrs. Weasley set off to the other side of the room. She looked at the room.

"Well, first things first." She rolled up her sleeves. "We need a fire-," the fireplace lit almost immediately after she said it. "And we'll need a kitchen to make food-," the other side of the room was made into a little walk-in kitchen with everything you need. Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron stared at it in wonder as Mrs. Weasley spun around and smiled brightly. "Aha! Fantastic! I'll make us some tea." She told them as she went into the kitchen. Harry, Ron and Hermione gave each other sheepish looks and went over to the couches by the fireplace. They sat uncertainly, as though they were in a new house. They looked around the place and then ended up settling on each other, watching each other's facial expressions, which were as expressive as a rock. Ginny saw them and decided to leave them alone, traveling over to look around the kitchen with Mrs. Weasley. Harry and Ron stared at Hermione, who seemed at a loss for words. She shifted her weight uncomfortably.

"… Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked, looking at them, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Hermione…" Harry's voice sounded so sad and hesitant that Hermione put up her hand to stop him.

"Harry, don't. I know what you're going to say. Please do me a favor and don't say It." she said quietly, closing her eyes. Harry swallowed and nodded. Ron tried to break the tension. He smiled in a fake way.

"Blimey Hermione, I didn't know you were psychic." He grinned at her. Hermione looked at him and giggled, smiling.

"One of my many talents." She said. Ron smiled but it didn't meet his eyes. Hermione looked at them both and crossed her arms.

"Alright. Look, you guys are over-reacting about this. I'm not going to be found in Hogwarts in the Room of Requirement. It's the safest place we could be! I'm sure Professor McGonagall will make sure the castle is safe. She's a smart witch." Hermione told them. Harry sat forward, looking at Hermione pleadingly.

"Hermione, we know she's a smart witch. But with the Ministry at our toes and people looking everywhere for half the population of the Wizarding World…she can't hold the castle for very much longer. When the Ministry gets your whereabouts, they'll be at Hogwarts doors and unless McGonagall wants to keep Hogwarts open, she'll have to let them search for us. And she put us in the best possible spot. I don't know if they know anything about this Room, but if they do…" Harry left his sentence up for determination. Ron looked at them, thinking hard.

"…But…Umbridge knows about this place. Remember? She found us while we were in the DA." Ron said, his voice thoughtful. Hermione swallowed.

"…So, in another, more logical way of saying this…I'm shit out of bloody luck?" Hermione said. She didn't feel as optimistic this time around. Harry and Ron looked at her in a shocked manner, not hearing her swear as often as everyone else. Harry was the first to speak; their whole thought pattern had changed from optimistic and reassuring.

"Hermione, don't think like that. We'll get out of this, like every other time." Harry told her, smiling. "It's not any different than the last time-,"

"And Harry, if you didn't notice, we were caught by Snatchers the last time." The two of them fell silent and Hermione continued with a knowledgeable tone to her voice. "Look…this spell…this is an ancient and horrible way of finding Muggle-Borns. If Salazar Slytherin created and used this spell to find and kill off the Muggle-Borns that he did…then there's really nothing we can do. Sure, we can hide for a while, but it's only a matter of time before they find us and take…" she swallowed, remembering those poor people being interrogated in that courtroom by Umbridge. They all looked so scared and helpless. She knew what waited in store for her if she was found guilty, which was going to be the verdict: The Dementor's Kiss and a life-long sentence in Azkaban. She focused back on Harry and Ron, trying to make sure they saw she wasn't as scared as she actually felt.

"What I'm trying to say is that if the Ministry wants to find me…then they will." Hermione finished. She was glad she didn't have to talk anymore. She felt like she'd break down right there if she went any further. She quickly stared down at her hands, at her wand in her lap and took it in her hand. She felt the uneasy silence as Ron and Harry stared at each other until Ginny came out with a tray of tea and crumpets. Hermione was the only one to smile at her when she set it down on a nearby coffee table and take a crumpet, saying thank you before eating it. It took Harry and Ron quite a while to figure out that they shouldn't just sit there, but when they did, they took their tea and crumpets and had afternoon tea in silence.


	6. Chapter 6

~Chapter 6: May I have this dance? ~

Everyone had gotten settled in. The rest of the Weasley family had come, unpacked their trunks and gotten comfortable. It was around midnight now and the Room was quiet, other than the small radio on the coffee table, which was playing soft music. Everyone was quietly sleeping in their beds. Well, everyone except Ron. He was up, sitting on the sofa, staring into the fire. He was in deep thought about Hermione. What would he do without her? How would he cope with not seeing her face every day? Would he be strong enough to fight against the Ministry for her life? Could he do anything to stop them from taking her away from him? Ron sat there, these questions twirling around in his head, nagging him, wanting answers and the truth was, he didn't have them. He wished he did, but he didn't. He just didn't. Ron leaned forward, his face in his hands, feeling insanely frustrated with himself. He grasped his hair, his breath coming out in little choked spurts up his throat, tears swelling in his eyes. He felt like he did the night Fred died. He felt like his world was coming down from around him all over again. Hermione was what kept him strong while he grieved over Fred's death and now…she's the one that'll be gone and no one will be there to help him. Ron remembered in their third year, when Hermione had brought Ron back from the infirmary after Professor Lupin's attack and Sirius's revealing, she took good care of him. She stayed with him the entire time he was ill. He also remembered how she'd stuck up for him when Draco made fun of the Weasley's brooms in their second year and also how she took the blame for their little run-in with the troll in their first year. Ron remembered how jealous he was when he saw Krum and Hermione at the Yule Ball, dancing with each other. Hermione looked so happy but Ron came along and ruined that night for her. In their fifth year, Ron recalled Hermione kissing him on the cheek before the Quiddich match against Slytherin. It was the most fantastic feeling he'd ever had. That was, until their sixth year, when Hermione helped him study for his O.W.L's and the Apperation/Disapperating testing and encouraged him when he failed most of the testing anyway. He needed that extra boost of self-confidence that she seemed to always give him. Hermione was always there to do anything for him, even when he didn't appreciate it; she was there, giving him words of comfort, knowledge, encouragement, disapproval (when he didn't finish his homework) or a helping hand. She was always there. Ron realized, in that moment, that he couldn't live without her. He was her life and if she wasn't there, he'd have no life. It was like the "ball of light" coming from the Deluminator Dumbledore gave him. He knew, like back then when it floated through his chest, that wherever Hermione was, he was meant to be also. He cried quietly into his hands, not knowing what else to do. She wasn't even gone yet, and Ron was an emotional wreck.

Hermione, who couldn't sleep either, but was sitting in her bed, reading a book, heard Ron's choked sobs and got up. She peeked over at Ron, seeing only his shaking back and his bowed head. She slowly and silently went over to the couches and hesitantly sat down beside him. She put a hand on his hand, which was still grasping his hair roughly, like he was about to pull it out. Ron jumped and looked over at her. Without even thinking, he began to take in her face, the paleness of her skin, her soft, warm chocolate brown eyes, her brown wavy hair, her soft lips... He took in her odd beauty, which he had learned to love over the years as she reached up and wiped a tear away with her thumb, taking his other hand. Ron just stared at her, relaxing at her touch. More tears came and the more that did, Hermione got even sadder as she watched him. They said nothing for a while, just sitting there, the only sound being the radio on the table. Hermione leaned forward so her forehead was touching his, looking into his watery eyes.

"You can't leave me, Hermione." Ron whispered brokenly. "You can't." Hermione felt tears fill her own eyes when he said this. She took in his face, every angle, every tone, every freckle.

"Ron…-," she tried to say, but he took her face in his hands, looking at her desperately.

"Y-you can't leave me. You're all I have left. You don't understand, Hermione. Bloody hell, Hermione, I love you so much. You can't leave me." Ron said, his eyes full of agonizing pain. "I don't want to wake up in the morning and realized you're gone. I want you to be safe. Please." He pleaded. Hermione looked at him, a tear running down her cheek. She got up her courage and wiped her tears away. Hermione stared deeply into his beautiful eyes.

"Ron…even if I'm gone tomorrow…we still have tonight…and that's one thing they can't take from us." Hermione said softly. Ron stared at her, not sure what she meant. Hermione slowly took his hands and pulled him off the couch, keeping her eyes locked with his. The radio was playing a beautiful, slow love song that Hermione recognized. It was called "More than words". It was a popular song in the Muggle world that she had quite fallen in love with. She slowly looked at Ron's hands joined with hers, then up at his face.

"May I have this dance?" she asked quietly, looking into his eyes. Ron didn't seem surprised. He tried to object with an "I can't dance" line, but Hermione leaned forward and kissed him softly to stop his words. They kissed softly for a long couple seconds before Hermione pulled back, her forehead resting on his. Ron took a second to regain his head and nodded, putting his hand on her waist softly, pulling her closer, and keeping their other hands close to his chest. They swayed very slowly to the music, Ron not stepping on Hermione's feet once. Hermione laid her head against his shoulder, feeling him kiss her forehead lightly, kissing her hair, keeping her body close to his. They just swayed in a circle, doing nothing elaborate, just having a special moment between them. The music played quietly in the background as they danced.

"Now that I've tried to talk to you make you understand…" Hermione sang quietly along with the song. "All you have to do is close your eyes and just reach out your hand and touch me, hold me close and don't ever let me go. More than words is all I ever needed you to show. Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me, 'cause I already know. More than words…" Hermione ended at the same time the singers did and the instrumental ending kept playing as she reached up and kissed him softly, closing her eyes, still swaying along with the music. When the music ended, Ron and Hermione stopped moving as their kiss got more passionate and needy. Hermione put her arms around his shoulders, getting on her tiptoes while Ron's kissing took her breath away. After what seemed like forever, they pulled back, Hermione's eyes still closed as she tried to savor the fluttery feeling she had in her chest. Ron stared at her face, shining in the fire lit room. He stroked her cheek and she opened her eyes, looking into his again.

"...If words aren't enough to tell you how much I love you…" Ron said softly. Hermione looked at him as an incredibly tender expression came across Ron's face, one that she's never seen before. "…Then let me show you…" he said very quietly. Hermione understood what he meant. She looked at Ron and a smile lit up her face. Ron looked over and there was a door in the opposite wall. He took her hand and pulled her over to it. He turned the doorknob and opened the door. There was a little room with a king-sized bed in it. Just a bed. Hermione suddenly got nervous. She looked at Ron and he smiled at her reassuringly. This was right, she thought. She was ready. This might be her last chance. She was with the man she loved, after all. Hermione looked at Ron and smiled as they went inside the room and Hermione got on the bed as Ron shut the door behind them…


	7. Chapter 7

~Chapter 7: Access given~

Deep inside the Ministry of Magic, in the new Minister's office, Aurors waited at the doors for Dolores Umbridge to come upstairs. Adolf Xavier paced his office floor. He was a tall man with very fine European features. He had short black hair that he kept slicked back; he had big powdery blue eyes and very pale skin, almost pure white. He had a narrow face that hardly changed expression ever and he also had a long body, long arms and a long neck. He was, in other words, intimidating and very scary to even look at. His most noticeable feature was, unfortunately, a long scar that ran from his forehead and through his eye, across his nose and stopped at the side of his lips. This scar was black. It was from a dreadful curse that he'd obtained while the Muggle-Borns, who were under the imperious curse, killed his family.

The door opened and Adolf turned to see Dolores Umbridge standing there, in a pink outfit and matching bow. She gave the Minister a silky sweet smile.

"Thank you so much for doing this sir. I really appri-,"

"Come Umbridge." Adolf said swiftly, turning back around. He pulled out his wand, looking out the window. Umbridge trotted over to his side as well. "…Do you know what this means, Madam Umbridge?" he asked softly, his voice very quiet. Umbridge nodded frantically.

"Yes sir, I do." She said excitedly. Adolf turned around, his wand inches from her face. Umbridge jumped, a little squeak coming from her mouth. Adolf peered into her little toad face.

"This means everything to me…and I have a very good feeling that you feel the same way about this…filth as I do." Adolf said quietly. Umbridge nodded her head so quickly her bow was flopping back and forth like a dying pink fish.

"I do, Minister. I do very much." She said quickly, her eyes wide with fear and reassurance. Adolf nodded once.

"Very well. Shall we proceed?" he inquired. Umbridge nodded once more. Adolf turned and walked over to his desk. He flipped open an extremely old spell book. "Now. This spell, as you well know, was used by Salazar Slytherin himself to find Muggle-Borns. Once the spell is conjured, the Muggle-Borns will be weakened and their locations will be written down automatically." Adolf twirled his wand and a very old roll of parchment and a beautiful long eagle quill appeared, waiting to write. "When the locations are written down, we can find any Muggle-Borns anywhere in the world. Of course, we won't go after all of them at once. I have fleets assigned for certain parts of the country." He told her as he found the spell in the book. He raised his wand and looked at Umbridge. "Soon, even in the Ministry, we will see who has been lying to us all along." Adolf said dryly. Umbridge smiled evilly.

"_Very_ good, Minister. Now, if I may ask, by weaken, do you mean make them physically weak?" Umbridge asked curiously. Adolf's mouth twitched up and down just as quickly.

"You shall see." He turned to the book and looked at it. He raised his wand high and made a very deliberate triangle. "_Immundus_!" he hissed. The quill began rapidly writing, quicker than a speeding bullet and suddenly, ear-piercing screaming from down the hall. Adolf's mouth grew into a huge triumphant smile as he traveled over to the large window that overlooked the entire bottom atrium, which was crowded with people. You saw half the population of moving people falling over in pain and screaming in agony. Umbridge came over and watched the people from the window with wide eyes. Suddenly, a smile lit her face, seeing exactly what he meant by "weaken".

"Listen to that, Madame Umbridge. That is the sound of a new age beginning right now." Adolf said softly as the guards came and grabbed all the people who were writhing in pain on the floor. He went over to the quill and looked at the parchment. He noticed something odd "…What's this?" he pointed to an absolutely huge number of Muggle-Borns all under the same coordinates. Umbridge traveled over beside him, looking at it too. Slowly, another smile lit her face. She looked at the Minister.

"Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She told him, her smile victorious. "Muggle-Borns in training." Adolf looked at her and then turned to his guards, who were waiting just inside his office, waiting for orders.

"Prepare to go. We're going to Hogwarts." He told them firmly. Umbridge grinned her toady grin and took out her wand as Adolf turned back to her. "…Let's go." He said and put on his traveling cloak and bowler hat as Umbridge grabbed her pink overcoat and they left together.

Hermione slept soundly beside Ron, both naked under the covers. Hermione finally stirred out of unconsciousness and opened her eyes. Her vision blurred for a moment but it soon focused and she saw Ron sleeping there, his arms wrapped around her, holding her to his chest. It took Hermione a moment to even comprehend what happened last night. She couldn't believe it. Last night was utterly perfect: Ron was incredibly tender with her, so loving and gentlemanly. Her mind seemed to be so light, like she couldn't remember anything else but his kisses, his large, strong hands being so gentle with her…it was like all other thoughts didn't matter. Hermione smiled softly and cuddled into his chest.

Ron began to wake up as well and sat there for a moment, also replaying what happened last night in his head. He looked over and saw Hermione and he smiled so brightly, holding her close.

"…Morning beautiful." He mumbled lovingly. Hermione smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

"Morning." She responded, her mood lifting even higher. Ron kissed her lips very lightly before he sighed.

"You don't understand how…amazing last night was for me." He told her, his voice almost in awe. Hermione giggled quietly.

"I understand perfectly." She kissed him once before she sat up and started grabbing her clothes. Ron sat up, propping his body up on his elbow.

"Hey, where are you going?" he asked in a longing tone. "Don't do that." He said, watching her dress. Hermione laughed, still pulling on clothes.

"We have to get out of here before your parents figure out something. We didn't think very hard about what we would do in the morning last night." she told him, getting a bit scared now. What if his parents found out?

"We didn't think very hard about anything last night." Ron reminded her, smiling goofily. Hermione smiled, raising an eyebrow at him. She jumped on the bed, fully clothed, and grabbed him, pulling him off.

"Come on, you! Get dressed." She kissed him quickly, teasingly, and shoved his clothes into his arms. Ron shook his head, grinning as she quickly took her wand and made the bed, and he got dressed quickly. When they were decent, they went out and the door disappeared. Mrs. Weasley was in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. Ginny and Harry were sitting on their bed, talking and laughing, dressed and ready, Percy and Charlie were talking, standing by the kitchen, obviously waiting for food, Bill and Fleur were absent from the room and George was sitting on the couch, close to where they were standing. He looked at them and, for the first time in a while, he grinned at Hermione and Ron when they looked over at him.

"…Morning…did you two have fun?" he said in a playful voice. Hermione flushed, her stomach dropping. If he knew what they did, everyone else must.

"…Does…does anyone else know…?" Hermione asked, still blushing. George grinned at her.

"No. I just know. It's like having a sixth sense." George told them. Hermione sighed in relief and smiled at him tentatively as Ron's ears went scarlet.

"Bugger off, mate." He muttered as Hermione laughed and squeezed his hand. George grinned and got up to go get some food. Hermione and Ron went over to their beds. Ginny peeked over at Hermione and winked at her. Hermione's face was so red that she ducked her head to hide it.

"Alright kids, breakfast is ready!" Mrs. Weasley called. They all traveled over to the kitchen to get some food when Mr. Weasley, Bill and Fleur came in the doors. Charlie saw them and went over.

"Anything new?" he asked. Mr. Weasley nodded.

"I think we should all sit down. I have quite a bit of information to talk about." Mr. Weasley said so everyone else could hear, his voice serious. Hermione and Ron went over to sit on the couch with their tea and toast while the rest of them came over and sat with them. Mr. Weasley conjured an armchair and sat down, exhaling deeply. Mrs. Weasley came over and sat with him as everyone focused on Mr. Weasley.

"…The Ministry accessed the spell… half of the Ministry of Magic employees are gone. My ward is…deserted…" He said in a tired voice. When no one responded, he continued. "Minerva is trying to hide all the Muggle-Borns in Hogwarts, but she's having trouble, you see. It's half the school's population and they wouldn't all fit in the Room of Requirement. She said that if we tried fitting them in here, the Room might overcrowd and shut for good. And when that happens, it ceils itself forever. She's hiding them in the forbidden forest and throughout the castle. The spell hasn't…affected itself yet, which means the Ministry has their rough location, but not exact. Minerva is going to try to warn us when it starts to affect the others, but…" he looked at Hermione sadly. "There's no telling when it'll strike." Hermione felt everyone's eyes on her and she swallowed. She nodded, holding Ron's hand tighter in hers. Mr. Weasley continued. "Also, we know that Kingsley isn't coming back for quite a while. He sent a message to me explaining that he wanted to free all the imprisoned Muggle-Borns from Azkaban." Mr. Weasley said with a regretful voice. Everyone stared at one another in horror, knowing it was a suicide mission.

"Did you try to convince him not to?" Charlie asked. Mr. Weasley nodded.

"Yes, but he wouldn't listen…" he told them. Hermione looked down at her hands. "He feels he has to do this: that he's responsible for all the Muggle-Borns that have been locked up."

"Why don't we go help him?" Ron asked. Mr. Weasley looked at his son with caution.

"Ron, this is Azkaban we're talking about. I don't think any of us are ready to go there-,"

"But what if Hermione is sent there?! Would we go get her then?" Ron asked frantically. Mr. Weasley looked like he didn't want this to come up.

"Ronald, please-,"

"No! Would you? Would you help me go to Azkaban and free Hermione if she was sent there? Yes or no, dad." Ron said, sitting a lot straighter in his seat, looking protective. Hermione refused to make eye contact with anyone in the room, even Ginny, who wasn't concentrating on the boys, but was concentrating on her.

"…Of course Ron. We would do anything to keep Hermione safe. I'm just saying that we can't storm Azkaban prison with just us. We need information, help from the inside, equipment. We need a plan." Mr. Weasley told him. Ron swallowed and sat back, putting his arm around Hermione's waist. Hermione peeked at Mr. Weasley, who was looking at her with a sad expression on his face, like he was defeated in every way possible.

"Mum, we have to go back out. Minerva wants a word with you, if you don't mind. The same with Charlie." Bill said quietly. Mrs. Weasley nodded.

"Alright, dear. Let's go." She said, getting up along with Mr. Weasley. She looked at the rest of them. "Behave." She pointed at her sons.

"Can I come?" Percy asked. "I can't stand this room any longer." He sounded irritated. Mrs. Weasley nodded again.

"Sure Percy, dear. Quickly now." They went out the doors, leaving just George, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione in the Room. Hermione felt all of their eyes on her and she felt wound up, like she was about to snap at them.

"…I'll…go do the dishes." She announced, getting up swiftly, trying not to look flustered. She went into the kitchen and looked at the mess of pots and pans and set to work. Instead of using magic, she rolled up her sleeves and scrubbed them by hand, getting all of her frustration out on the poor pans. She scrubbed them violently, gritting her teeth, her mind only focusing on this stress-release. The Weasley family didn't want to be here. Percy just made that perfectly clear. The others were just too polite to say anything outwardly. She couldn't believe they were doing this for her. She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve any of their help. She was going to destroy their family if they fought against the Ministry. Hermione kept washing the dishes, making them spotlessly clean in mere seconds. Soon, she was scrubbing a pan that didn't need scrubbing anymore, just needing to focus on something else for a while. She was so out of it that she didn't hear Ginny come in the room after a couple minutes. She saw all the clean dishes and looked at Hermione cleaning an already spotless pan with a ferocity that scared Ginny. Ginny closed the kitchen door behind her and went over beside her, not daring touch her yet.

"You know, you could've just made them clean themselves." Ginny said quietly, her voice cautious as she gestured to the dishes. Hermione kept working as she talked.

"I know. I just felt like cleaning them." Hermione said through her teeth, still scrubbing violently. Ginny watched her with her big green eyes.

"Hermione, you've cleaned the pan already. Let me put it away for you." Ginny said, putting her hand on her arm. Usually dishwashing was a very safe thing to do, but the way Hermione was going, Ginny wouldn't be surprised if she ended up hurting herself in some way. Hermione kept going, not sure if she could stop yet.

"I'll put it away soon. Just after I finish." She said, her voice verging on the edge of slight hysteria. All she could think about was the Ministry coming in and killing the Weasley family. She couldn't get her mind off of the slight chance that they won't just stun them or lock them away. They'd be killed, or so Hermione thought. Ginny saw the panic in Hermione's eyes as she turned away to wipe her hands off on the tea towel and grab another pot, which was as clean as it had been before breakfast. Ginny quickly took the pot from her and put it down, grabbing her hands. Ginny knew this face on Hermione. It was her "I'm-having-an-emotional-breakdown" face. Ginny had only seen it a couple times before, but her worst was when Ron had kissed Lavender Brown after a Quidditch match. Her face looked the exact same as that night. Hermione tried to pull her hands free from hers, feeling tears form at the back of her eyes, seeing Ron's dead face in her mind, not able to get it out. She shook her head, closing her eyes, a couple tears falling onto her cheeks, still trying to get away from her. She felt like she was suffocating. Ginny finally grabbed Hermione and pulled her close, holding her in a tight hug, waiting until she calmed down. Hermione struggled for another couple seconds before she ended up hugging her back, burying her head in her shoulder, taking a deep breath. Ginny had done this a couple times for her: once after seeing Ron with Lavender in the Gryffindor common room, once before the Yule Ball (she was extremely nervous to be going with Victor Krum anywhere, let alone a ball), and once right before her exams in her third year, which were doubled because of the fact that she took extra courses that year. Ginny had always calmed her down when something bad had happened, if she was nervous or just plain heartbroken. This was one of the worst panic-attacks she'd ever had, and for good reason.

"It's okay." Ginny muttered quietly, holding her close as Hermione tried to calm her breathing down.

"Ginny…p-promise me something." Hermione said brokenly. Ginny nodded, holding her. "…Promise me that when the Ministry comes for me, you'll let them take me." she said. Ginny tried to piece that together in her mind.

"…No. I can't promise that." Ginny said quietly, her voice almost fighting at anger.

"Please. I can't stand the idea that you or any of your family will be killed because of me." Hermione said, pulling back to look at her. "It's enough that you're risking your lives again, but I don't want you dead. The Ministry won't be as forgiving this time." Ginny looked at her with angry eyes.

"You know that we'll fight. Ron will fight. He's not ready to give you up…no one is." Ginny told her. "As much as you're extremely annoying, being right almost all the time, we're not ready to lose you-,"

"Ginny, you won't lose me. I'm a highly logical person. I'll get out of it somehow. Just, please…" Hermione begged her. Ginny looked at her, her eyes softening.

"…Fine. I promise to let them take you… but you have to promise me something in return." She countered. Hermione nodded.

"Anything." Hermione said, calming down a bit. Ginny took one of her hands and held it tightly for emphases.

"…Promise me that no matter what they do to you, no matter where you go or what happens to you…promise me that you'll stay alive." Ginny said, her voice extremely serious. Hermione thought about that for a moment before nodding.

"…I promise." She said softly. Ginny smiled very lightly and hugged her once more before Ron came in. Ginny's smile got a bit bigger and she quickly pecked Hermione's cheek before leaving with a parting "she's all yours." to Ron. Ron watched his sister go out before he looked back at Hermione and went over to her.

"Since when do you clean dishes?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

"Since now, that's when." She shot back with a gorgeous smile. Ron grinned and kissed her lips hungrily. Hermione closed her eyes, kissing back. Suddenly, a quick stab of agonizing pain struck her in her stomach. She broke off the kiss, immediately scrunching up, a gasp breaking free of her lips. Ron looked at her with worried eyes.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked, his voice getting frantic-sounding. Hermione couldn't talk. She felt the pain grow into her chest and soon her legs were flaring with pain too. She felt her knees crumple and she grabbed Ron's shoulders, trying to stay up, but she just ended up falling at his feet, crunching up in a ball, holding back screams. Ron knelt beside her, frantically trying to calm her down.

"Hermione, Hermione, please! What's wrong?! Tell me what hurts! Ginny! Harry! George! It's Hermione!" he called, his voice breaking from how loud he was yelling. Hermione shook violently, her entire body filling with unexplainable pain. Finally, she screamed loudly, not able to hold it in any longer. Tears ran down her cheeks as she writhed in pain on the floor, trying to block the pain out.

Ginny, Harry and George burst in the kitchen and saw Hermione. They stood there, shocked that Hermione was in this type of state. Ginny was the first to move; she knelt on the other side of Hermione and gently touched her forehead. She looked sharply at Ron, who was still freaking out.

"I leave you with her for, what, _two minutes?!"_ Ginny quickly took charge of the situation when Ron looked like he'd stopped breathing. "Okay, George, run and get mum and dad. Tell them the spell has hit Hermione and warn McGonagall if the students haven't felt the effects yet. Harry, get Ron out of here now, before he hurts her." Ginny said in a calm, but firm voice as Hermione continued to writhe in pain on the tile floor, gasping in pain. George ran off and Harry quickly swooped down and grabbed Ron.

"C'mon mate." When Ron wouldn't move, Harry grabbed him roughly by the shirt and towed him out as Ron objected. Ginny quickly turned her attention back to Hermione and put her hand on her arm.

"Can you stand, Hun?" Ginny asked. Hermione shook, her whole body trembling.

"…M-Make it stop…" she whispered, tears pouring down her cheeks. The pain was unbearable. Ginny watched her best friend writhe and roll in pain and felt like something was blocking her throat.

"Hermione, I'm going to get you into bed, okay? Try to walk." Ginny put one of Hermione's arms around her shoulders, pulling her up and wrapping her arm around her waist, supporting her until she got her footing. They walked together out of the kitchen and just before they got to the bed, her knees collapsed again and Ginny had to carry her over to the bed and put her in it. She sat beside her, taking her hand.

"Squeeze my hand." She instructed calmly. Hermione gripped her hand so tightly, Ginny winced. She was much stronger when she was in pain. Ginny saw Harry making Ron sit on the couches and sit still. He was fighting him, trying to get to Hermione, but Harry wouldn't let him. Finally, Ron almost grabbed and threw Harry but Harry took out his wand.

"_Stupify_!" Harry yelled. Ron was blasted off his feet and knocked unconscious. Harry exhaled sharply and grabbed Ron, laying him on the couch. Ginny looked at him in shock and Harry simply shrugged.

"I had to. He was hysterical." He said. Ginny gave him a look.

"Harry…think about this: if we ever get married and decide to have children and I go into labour, I might be a little hysterical too. So, do you mind maybe not stunning me then or _any other time_ I may be hysterical? You're supposed to slap people when they're hysterical, not knock them out." Ginny said as Harry swallowed at the labour analogy and then sat beside the unconscious Ron.

"Sorry." He muttered, feeling guilty. Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, and then turned back to Hermione, who felt extremely light-headed from all the pain. She looked at Ginny, her face going pale.

"…Keep your promise." She said quietly. Ginny gently moved a curl of brown hair out of her face and nodded.

"Don't worry. I will."


	8. Chapter 8

~Chapter 8: For the good of the heart~

The pain never stopped, even if the Ministry did. They felt every ounce of pain that the spell delivered into each Muggle-Born's poor body. The Minister's request to go to Hogwarts first was delayed by three days. The Muggle-Borns were being rounded up by the thousands every hour since the spell was cast and Adolf had to instruct them on how to keep them held prisoner until he could bring the lot of Muggle-Borns from Hogwarts. They were now flying to Hogwarts, not being able to Apperate there, and flying being the safest road. Umbridge was determined to find Hermione and put her first in line for interrogation. She wanted to get back at her, not only for when she pretended to be Mafilda Hopkirk and tricked her in every way possible, but when she set Grawp on her as well. She was ready to punish her. She was _so _ready, and she had a plan that only Hermione would have the absolute displeasure of being a part of. She had to ask the Minister, but he already loved her bloodlust on the matter, so she had no doubt in her mind that she could do whatever she wanted to Hermione with Adolf's full approval in hand.

Hogwarts had stopped too. Some of the teachers weren't able to teach because of the fact that they were under the spell too, and the school was half full. McGonagall was going crazy trying to tend to everyone all at once, but she was doing an amazing job for someone with limited staff. She'd check in on Hermione and the others regularly, but she made sure Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were well informed if she couldn't make it upstairs for updates by means of patronuses and such.

The Weasley family took turns taking shifts for guarding the seventh floor corridor. Four of them would go out for two to three hours, waiting for their parents, who were normally downstairs helping McGonagall, or guarding the hall, making sure no one came up here that they didn't know, and then when their time period was over, they'd switch with whoever was in the Room with Hermione, making sure she was alright. Usually, Harry Ginny or Ron was with Hermione once every shift so she wouldn't feel as awkward with people like Bill or Charlie, who she hardly knew. Although, Hermione wasn't in much of a state to care.

Right now, Bill, Harry, Charlie and Fleur were outside and Ginny, Ron and Percy were inside with Hermione. Ginny sat beside Hermione, who was able to sit up now. Sometimes the pain would get so bad that she'd faint on the spot without any warning except a sharp flash of extreme pain before she collapsed. Hermione hadn't walked in three days due to the risk that she could faint or fall and injure herself. Ginny was keeping a close eye on her, as always, and Ron sometimes had to keep his distance from Hermione. He was getting more and more anxious with every hour the Ministry didn't arrive. Percy, as always, was extremely annoyed with the fact that he had to play babysitter for Hermione and he didn't like his shifts inside the Room. He spent most of his time doodling on a notepad he'd conjured up, looking so bored all the time. Hermione hated the fact that they were stuck with her, but she couldn't argue for very long anymore, which made her even more annoyed. She sat with Ginny on her bed, trying to ignore the pain seeping through her veins, getting stronger with every breath. She looked at a book that she'd brought in her trunk while Ron sat with Percy and talked quietly on the couches.

"Y-You see? Look at this." Hermione said quietly, pointing to a page in her thick book. Ginny leaned forward to look at what she was pointing at. "…The seventh grade s-spells aren't _that _difficult." Ginny arched a red eyebrow at her.

"Easy for you to say, Ms. Smarty pants. Look at this one! I can't even pronounce it!" Ginny exclaimed. "Who would want to use this spell anyway?" Hermione looked at it and a whole bunch of information flowed out of her mouth.

"_Interficiam._ It's pronounced int-er-fish-am. You see, the "ic" put together in Latin makes a "sh" sound and the "I" is silent." Hermione said. She felt much better when she was talking quickly. Ginny looked at her with a blank look on her face.

"I know, but why would anyone use the spell? The only thing it says in the description of what it does is "to cut". Like, really?" Ginny said, looking frazzled.

"Well, as a matter of fact, some legends say that this spell was used by high priests. They'd use it on monks." Hermione said knowledgably. Ginny looked at her strangely.

"Pray tell, why would they use it on monks?" she asked.

"Because when someone became a monk, they had to take a vow of silence for the rest of their lives: no talking, no praying aloud. If they broke the vow of silence, they'd use this spell to cut out their tongues. And in Ancient Egypt, it was said that Pharaohs would use this spell to cut off the scrotum of any slave that talked badly of the gods." Hermione told her. Ginny made a gagging noise.

"That was way too much information, Hermione." She said. "Excuse me while I swallow my bile." Ginny made a face and Hermione laughed, but that was cut short by a gasp of pain. Hermione clutched her sides, her ribs exploding in pain. She winced, closing her eyes, trying to get her breath back. Ginny's face immediately dropped and she gently laid a hand on her back.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. Maybe you should lay down for a while." Ginny said, rubbing her back in comfort. Hermione swallowed and leaned against the wall, shaking her head.

"I-I-I'm okay. Don't worry." She whispered, opening her eyes as the agony raged on. Ginny caught Ron's eyes across the room and they looked pained, like he was being tortured as well. Ginny felt horrible for his brother. He got angry a lot and it upset Hermione very much. Ginny knew he meant well, but she wouldn't appreciate Ron talking about the Ministry so harshly all the time if she was in Hermione's place. Ron communicated through eye contact that he wanted to sit with Hermione for a bit. Ginny glanced at Hermione and then back at Ron and silently, subtly nodded her head. Ron got off the couch and went over to them. Ginny got up.

"I'm gunna go check on the others. Ron will stay with you." she said as Hermione looked at him, then at her and nodded quietly. Ginny walked off (Percy followed her, not wanting anything to do with Ron and Hermione's romance) and Ron sat down beside her, being careful not to touch her. Hermione immediately took the advantage and snuggled into him. Out of everyone, he calmed her pain down the most. He calmed _her _down the most. Hermione wound herself into his arms, but Ron didn't pull her in as usual. He placed his arms around her extremely lightly, not putting any weight on her. Hermione sighed with impatience and frustration.

"Ron, just because I'm in pain doesn't mean you have to be gentle with me. We've been through this a hundred times." Hermione said in a slightly breathless voice. Ron looked hesitant.

"I know. I just don't want to hurt you." Ron told her with an almost guilt in his voice. Hermione very lightly stroked his face, his forehead, which was full of worry lines.  
"You _won't!_ Please! The last thing I need is for you to be gentle." Hermione told him, and then reached up for a kiss. Their lips met for a moment before Hermione felt a stabbing pain in her throat. She leaned back with a gasp, like someone punched her jugular. Ron watched her with tired, sad eyes and quickly unwound his arms from around her and crossed them over his chest as Hermione recovered. When she did, she leaned towards him again, wanting to kiss a little more, but he just leaned away from her, turning his head away. Hermione felt a pain in her chest that wasn't from the spell. He wouldn't kiss her. That hurt more than this stupid spell did.  
"…You aren't going to let me kiss you again, are you?" Hermione said in the best cross tone that she could manage. Ron just shook his head, not looking at her. Hermione swallowed, feeling empty, like she'd died inside.

"Not until this spell is gone." He said quietly. Hermione looked at him, fury building in her chest. He was denying her the only thing that gave her relief and it wasn't fair.

"Ronald Weasley, you listen to me. I may not be here for much longer, and I do not want to spend my last days, or hours with someone who doesn't want to kiss me or touch me or hold me because he's scared of hurting me! This isn't you, Ron! This is them. The Ministry. You aren't hurting me by kissing me. It hurts when you don't kiss me. I need it." Hermione said in a desperate tone. Ron looked shocked for a moment, and then his face got almost nasty-looking.

"…I can't help you with that." He said flatly. Hermione looked at him, her face transforming into shock as well. She backtracked.

"…Wait, what? Ron-," she reached for him again, but he pulled away.

"If you need affection, I can't give it to you. So please don't ask for it." Ron told her bluntly, not looking her in the eye. Hermione felt more hurt seep into her chest. His words cut deep into her, like knives.

"Ron, please-,"

"Hermione stop, okay? Just stop!" he stood up abruptly. "I can't give you what you want!" he said harshly, his voice almost annoyed. His eyes flared with anger. "I don't…want to kiss you. Not now." He said, clenching his fists. Hermione looked at him, her mouth slightly open, and her eyes wide. She was speechless… "You don't get how much this hurts me." Ron muttered, staring down at the ground, grinding his teeth. Hermione watched him, her heart breaking.

"Ron, this isn't your fault-,"

"Yes, it is. I'm causing myself pain that I don't need." He said. Hermione looked at him.

"How are you causing yourself pain-?" Hermione asked, trying to understand, but Ron interrupted her, grabbing his hair.

"Because I'm dating a bloody _Mudblood!_" he hollered at the top of his voice, grabbing his hair violently. When he said that word, Hermione felt as though she'd been slapped right across the face. Her mouth hung open. As soon as the word was out of Ron's mouth, Ron's eyes widened and his hands covered his mouth as though he couldn't believe it. Hermione started to tear up. She looked right at Ron until he looked her in the eye. She suddenly couldn't stand the sight of him there anymore.

"…Hermione, I-,"

"Don't." Hermione said, her voice quiet, but breaking. You could hear the tears in her voice. Ron just stood there with the guiltiest look on his face she'd ever seen. Hermione looked at him, tears pouring down her cheeks. "…You talked to Percy, didn't y-you?" she said, her voice breaking. Hermione knew well enough that, even if Percy wanted to be part of the family, he didn't want a Muggle-Born as a sister-in-law. He, like the rest of the Ministry, had been turned off of Muggle-Borns when the Registration started the first time. Hermione was almost positive that he agreed with the Ministry's transactions, and there was no doubt in her mind that Percy, like every older sibling to Ron, was a role model for him. Hermione knew that Percy was a very convincing person. Even as a Prefect, he could get kids to do things without asking them twice. But he used discipline and, with Ron, his use of discipline was telling him how much pain Ron was causing himself by being her boyfriend. Percy never liked Hermione because she was smarter than him and could easily beat him in an argument over anything at all. It was so obvious that Percy didn't want to protect Hermione and, frankly, she didn't want him to be around if he didn't want to be. As Hermione suspected, after she asked him the question, Ron slowly nodded his head. Hermione looked at him and his guilt-filled face.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-," Ron tried, but Hermione just shook her head.

"You meant every word, Ron. And do you know what? You're absolutely right. You're causing yourself too much pain by being with me and I understand that perfectly. If you don't want to be with me, then just say so. I won't bother you any longer." Hermione said, her voice dead and filled with fake reassurance. Ron looked at her, opening and closing his mouth, hoping for something to come out.

"No, Hermione, that's not what I meant at all! I want to be with you!" Ron said, his voice begging for understanding. Hermione said nothing for a moment before she looked at him, her heart racing, her stomach twisting and untwisting in knots inside her body.

"…No, you don't…" she said plainly. "…You don't want to be with a girl you'll only be with for the next hour or so. You don't want to be with a girl who can't even talk to you without having shooting pain through her body. You don't want to be with a girl who can't make love to you, or make you happy, or marry you, or have your children, or stay with you forever. And you know what, Ronald?" she asked calmly, her pain going away all of a sudden. Ron stared at her, unable to talk. "I don't blame you. Because I wouldn't want someone like me either. Girls like me can't give you any of those things because; the truth is…I'm not going to be alive for much longer. I'll either have my soul sucked out of me… or I'll be killed." Ron listened to her. A flash of pain crossed his face so quickly, he looked like he convulsed. He couldn't say anything at all. He just stood there, trying to find words, but he couldn't. Hermione quickly looked away from him and down at her hands.

"…I'm glad we had this…whatever this was." She referred to their relationship. "I loved every moment I was with you and I wish you the best." She held out her hand to him, looking into his eyes one last time. Ron looked only at her face, not noticing her hand. Their eyes remained locked for what seemed like eternity before Hermione lowered her hand, resting them both in her lap. She couldn't believe she was saying all this, but it was for Ron's own good. He couldn't love someone who was going to die for long. This would be easier for him if she did this now. "…Ronald, if you don't mind…I'd like to be alone. I'm very tired." She said softly, wanting so badly to fling her arms around his broad shoulders and hug him and tell him not to go because of how much she loved him, but she maintained composure. Ron looked at her, still not able to speak a word, and turned and slowly left the room, closing the door behind him. Hermione watched him leave, watched the door close. Her whole life seemed, for the first time, unimportant to her. She was glad the Ministry was going to capture her and take her to Azkaban. Maybe, if she was lucky, her soul would be sucked out of her. At least, then, it wouldn't hurt as much as it did right now. No amount of torture that the Ministry could use on her would ever be enough because this was by far the worst feeling she had ever and will ever experience. Hermione sat back, no tears coming to her anymore. She sat there in blank solace and wished for them to come and take her away to a blissful nowhere where she would remember nothing about Harry, about Ginny or about the Weasley family, where she wouldn't remember her parents, still oblivious to the fact that they had a daughter, or how she, Harry and Ron saved the Wizarding World as they know it. She would be taken to a place where no one could ever make her feel this way ever again, and she was glad for that: whether it be the Kiss or death that takes her conscious mind, she was glad to be rid of it, once and for all.


	9. Chapter 9

~Chapter 9: Captured~

Adolf and Umbridge, accompanied by thousands of Ministry guards came into Hogwarts as the Aurors opened the gates. Professor McGonagall rushed to Hogwart's doors as they strode along the courtyard, uninvited and unannounced. McGonagall stood her ground as they came towards her.

"Adolf, what business do you have here?" McGonagall said crisply, looking at him over her spectacles. Adolf took no notice to her as he took out his wand and walked up the stairs, Umbridge at his toes. McGonagall saw Umbridge and a burning hatred started at her toes and worked its way up to her chest. She froze, not able to move. The doors swung shut behind her, locking immediately as she stared Umbridge down, who was now smiling in a toad-like way at McGonagall.

"Ah, Minerva. A pleasure to see you again!" Umbridge said in mock sweetness. McGonagall looked like she was about to bite someone's head off. She looked back at the Minister as he came to a stop at the top of the stairs, a few feet away from her. He stared at her coldly.

"You're the Headmistress of this establishment, I assume?" he asked her snidely. McGonagall stood straighter and nodded.

"Yes. What business do you have here, Minister?" She asked him again. Just then, a horrible high-pitched scream run loudly from inside Hogwarts. Adolf smirked at McGonagall as her face went pale.

"I think you know, Headmistress. I am here to round up any students or staff with a Muggle-Born status and bring them in for questioning. Please open the doors and step aside." He said with a curtly head-bow. McGonagall stood strong, squaring her shoulders, clenching her teeth.

"I will not-,"

"If you refuse, than I will remove your rank as Headmistress, take control of this school and the Ministry will shut it down. Now, please open the doors and step aside, ma'am." Adolf said, his voice dead. McGonagall clenched her teeth and slowly stepped aside, waving her wand to unlock the doors. They opened by themselves and the Minister, Umbridge and the guards stormed inside, pulling out their wands as they went, running down the halls of Hogwarts, collecting any and all of the students that were on the list and also in pain. McGonagall, being the Headmistress, Apperated to the Seventh floor and practically ran towards the Room of Requirement.

"They're coming!" she said, her voice ringing through the practically empty hall. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stood in alarm from their chairs; George yanked his wand out, looking around fiercely, and ready to battle. Bill and Fleur pulled out their wands and Charlie pulled out his new broomstick, climbing on it, saying "I've got air control." He flew up to the ceiling and hovered there, waiting for instructions, holding his wand also. "Are the others inside?" McGonagall asked them, a bit breathlessly.

"No, Percy and Ginny walked out for patrol and they haven't come back yet. Harry went with them. Ron left as well, but I don't know where he went. He wouldn't talk to us." Bill said, holding Fleur's hand. McGonagall nodded.

"Well…if one good thing happens today, it's that Miss Granger is protected long enough for you to get her out of here. I know that the Ministry wants her the most. But, here's my plan. I am the only one in this school who can Apperate out of Hogwarts, so I'll get Miss Granger. We'll go to the Whomping Willow and hide there until you can arrive there safely." McGonagall said as the Room started to open again. Suddenly, a jinx flew through the air and missed her face by inches. Shocked, McGonagall turned around and saw Harry, grasping Ginny's hand running frantically, their faces pale and sweaty, and Percy and Ron running at their heals, both looking just as tired, but scared at the same time. They rounded the corner as Umbridge did, a hundred or so guards running with her. They all sent jinxes at the Weasley family and McGonagall and the dueling began. Spells and curses were flying everywhere, red, green, blue and white light whizzing past people's faces, just missing them. Mr. Weasley dueled with five of the guards at once and had stunned two of them; Mrs. Weasley was dueling with one particularly nasty-looking guard, who kept trying to shoot ropes at her. George was doing surprisingly well, spells flying out of his wand quicker than anyone could have thought possible. Bangs and crackling and sizzling sounded within the corridor. There were screams, and shouts that rung out loudly. There was grunting, people punching and grabbing others. Harry and Ginny ducked behind a statue and was knocking people out with curses there. Bill and Fleur stood in front of the Room with McGonagall and Charlie was firing spells from up above, making the guards drop like flies. McGonagall turned and saw Umbridge there, sending curses her way as she dodged them. And so, Umbridge and McGonagall started to duel, their eyes looking extremely evil all of a sudden.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" Harry shouted as two guards came close to Ginny and tried to grab for her. One of them fell over backwards, stiff as a board, but the others grabbed Ginny and Harry and held them captive while someone shot Charlie off his broomstick. He fell to the ground and they scrambled to get a hold of him as he continued to fire spells at them. They got him in a headlock and snatched his wand. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were being held up against the wall, their wands taken from them, as well as from Ginny and Harry. Bill was jinxed in the face and he crumpled, unconscious as Fleur shrieked in terror and dove over his body. They grabbed her and held her too. Percy had cowered in the corner, putting his hands up in surrender as one of the guards pointed a wand at his face. All you heard from him was "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Leave me be! I didn't do anything!" as they advanced on him. They didn't do anything to him. They awaited orders from Umbridge. Ron fought the hardest until one of the guards had to tie him up and punch him in the gut hard enough that he couldn't breathe any longer. He laid on the floor, gasping for breath, bound in heavy rope. The guards pointed their wands to the throats, or heads, or hearts of the Weasley family, making sure they didn't move. McGonagall and Umbridge continued to fight violently. As guards came to grab McGonagall, Umbridge yelled.

"NO! SHE'S MINE!" Umbridge shrieked. They backed off. "_Impedimenta!" _she tried, but McGonagall blocked it. Finally, McGonagall lowered her wand for the slightest moment and Umbridge took her chance. "_CRUCIO!" _Umbridge screamed, pointing her wand at her. McGonagall immediately dropped to her knees, writhing in pain, not making a sound. Umbridge grinned in triumph as she stepped forward, pushing the spell harder as McGonagall fell backwards and laid on the ground, finished, rolling with excruciating pain. Umbridge laughed evilly and lowered her wand. McGonagall slouched on the ground, entirely finished. The guards grabbed her and held her up as she fell into unconsciousness. Umbridge went over and grinned at her.

"You _were_ always the weak one. Now, to the business at hand." She turned to the wall that was the opening to the Room of Requirement. She raised her wand, pointing it at the wall.

"_Bombarda Maxima."_ She said sweetly. A whooshing sound erupted and the wall blew apart again.

Hermione was still sitting on her bed when she heard an explosion and, suddenly, she was being covered in large chunks of granite and stone. She screamed at the top of her lungs as she was buried in heavy bits of the wall. When the dust cleared and a rather large hole appeared in the wall, Umbridge and five guards clambered over the mess of debris and started looking for Hermione, who couldn't move a muscle because she was trapped under the chunks of stone. She felt somebody climbing towards where she was and suddenly, the guard stepped on her hand, making it twist backwards. She let out a cry of pain and his head snapped down towards the sound.

"Hey miss! I think I found her!" he hollered. More footsteps started and soon, Umbridge was with the guard on top of the large pile of stone. She pulled out her wand and blasted the stones away. Hermione coughed at all the rubble and dust that flew in her mouth and into her eyes, making them sting horribly. Her eyes watered as she felt two pairs of hands grab her arms and pull her out of the rubble. When she opened her eyes, she saw Umbridge grinning in triumph. They walked with Hermione, dragging her along as they went, and got outside the Room. When the Weasleys saw Hermione, bleeding, covered in dust and walking out calmly with Umbridge and the guard, they started to struggle hard.

"No, Hermione! Fight! Don't give up!" Harry yelled from where he was, his voice panicked. They punched him in the gut to silence him, which made Ginny struggle harder too. Umbridge looked like she'd just won the lottery, holding Hermione's arm with a grip like a snake. She looked at the guard.

"Go fetch her wand." She chirped at him. The guard let go of Hermione and went back inside the Room to find her wand. Umbridge gripped Hermione's arm so hard, she winced, grinding her teeth. She suddenly wanted to get away again. She didn't want Umbridge to have the satisfaction of catching her. She struggled in her grip, pushing at her hands until Umbridge pulled out her wand and jabbed it into her throat. Hermione jerked back, immediately freezing, and her breathing quickening.

"You're a smart girl, Miss Granger." Umbridge purred, her voice sickly sweet. Hermione ground her teeth, looking down at her wand, swallowing as it dug into her windpipe. Umbridge looked at everyone, smiling. "Oh, don't look so down!" she piped to the Weasley's and Harry as they stared at her. "We all knew this would happen sooner or later. Just be glad it's now."

"Get your hands off her." Ginny growled.

"Ginny…" Hermione called, not taking her eyes off Umbridge's wand. "…Remember your promise." She said. Ginny looked at Hermione with incredulous eyes.

"But Hermione, it's _her!_ I can't let _her _take you-!"

"Please. You promised, Ginny." Hermione said in a very calm voice. She took her gaze off Umbridge's wand and looked Ginny in the eye, giving her a reassuring look through eye contact. Ginny swallowed and nodded slightly, backing down. Harry looked like he wanted to tear Umbridge limb from limb. Umbridge just smiled at them in that annoying way.

"Oh, just think! You saved the world! All of you! The_ least_ you can do is let yourselves rest and just forget about this…thing," she shook Hermione, who looked around at all of them calmly, trying to reassure them to just leave it be. She got to Ron, him lying on the floor, his eyes filled with anger and sorrow. They met eyes and Ron's lips formed one word: Hermione. She felt as though her heart had imploded, dried up like a raison. She saw Ron struggle a little, but the guard just held him down harder on the floor.

"Hermione will always be part of our family, no matter what you do to her." George growled. Hermione was quite shocked to hear that from George and she managed a very slight smile, her spirits lifting a little higher. Umbridge made that little annoying laugh that only she could do.

"Well, that's unfortunate. No one should ever love a Mudblood like you all do." Umbridge said. Hermione's eyes flickered over to Ron again, who was now fighting harder, his eyes wild with anger. Umbridge looked at him with interest. "Bring him to me." She ordered the guards holding Ron. They obeyed, dragging him to his feet and bringing him over. Ron only had eyes for Hermione, not looking at Umbridge. An alarm went off in Hermione's mind. If Umbridge found out that Hermione loved him, she'd lock him up or worse. She knew that this was his only chance of getting away. She looked at Ron and immediately, her face transformed into a poker face.

"Why are you so distraught, Mr. Weasley?" Umbridge asked Ron, her voice curious. Ron looked at Hermione and then at Umbridge with hate in his eyes.

"You know bloody well why, you old wench!" Ron snarled at her. Umbridge laughed.

"Indeed I do. You love her, don't you?" Umbridge said, her face that of a bird of prey swooping in on its meal. Ron looked at her, not answering. "You know, in Miss Granger's case study, it was written that you two are in a relationship." She said sweetly. Ron looked like he wanted to rip her head off with his very own teeth. Hermione knew that Umbridge would figure it out if she didn't say something fast.

"Your documents are wrong." Hermione said simply. Umbridge turned her attention to her and dug her wand further into her throat.

"Our documents are never wrong." She hissed in her ear. Hermione swallowed back a gasp of pain as she continued.

"We aren't together. I've never loved Ron. Ever. You're making this awkward enough for us just by bringing up that insane idea." Hermione said plainly. Umbridge looked like she was choking on her tongue. Ron looked at Hermione's masked face as pain painted his features. Hermione kept her face blank, and even added a cold tint to her eyes.

"B-but the case file says-,"

"It's wrong. I don't have any feelings for this boy except hatred. We don't get along." Hermione wasn't completely lying when she said that. She and Ron didn't get along most of the time. That was obvious.

"I see!" Umbridge said, convinced. She looked at Ron and patted his cheek with her pudgy hand. "I'm very glad you made her detest you, my dear. A smart move when it comes to Mudbloods. They never take kindly to love." Umbridge said in an almost know-it-all voice. Ron looked at Hermione as the guards dragged him back, tears in his eyes. Hermione swallowed and looked away from him and down at the ground. "Well, we must be off. You all should know that if you follow us, we'll put you in Azkaban for life. And, let's face it: she's not worth it, is she?" Umbridge asked the Weasley family. No one responded as the guards let them go and they started making their way out of the hall. Everyone stood there, watching them leave. Ron made a frantic attempt to follow Umbridge, but Bill snatched him back as they went down the staircases.

"Please Ron! We have to wait!" Bill said to his struggling brother, holding onto him. Ron fought against his brother's strong arms violently.

"Let me go!" he hollered. When Bill knew Umbridge was long gone with Hermione, he did. Ron turned on him and punched him right across the face. Bill stumbled back, rubbing his jaw, shocked. "You don't understand! How could you just stand there and let them take her?!"

"We had to, mate." Harry said quietly. Ron turned on him.

"So, you're with them on this? You just let them take Hermione after all of the times that she saved our sorry asses?! I thought I could trust you!" Ron yelled.

"You can! Just calm-,"

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! DO _NOT _TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! THEY JUST TOOK HER AWAY! WE OWE HER OUR LIVES AND YOU LET THEM TAKE HER AWAY!" Ron hollered at the top of his lungs.

"Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. Ron immediately shut his mouth and started to calm down. "We _will_ rescue Hermione. But please don't yell at us. We need to plan. We can't very much rescue Hermione if we're in Azkaban, can we?"

"…I'd rather be in Azkaban right now." Ron muttered, looking at his shoes.

"You don't mean that-," Harry started, but he didn't finish.

"I do. At least I'd be with her." Ron said in a quiet, defeated tone. He turned and walked away, stuffing his hands in his pockets, trying to devise a plan to get Hermione back.

When the Minister collected all of the Muggle-Borns in Hogwarts, they were all dragged outside where they Apperated to the Ministry, right into different holding cells. They were each chained around the wrists and given a wooden plank that had their cell number on it and their full name. About ten Muggle-Borns were shoved inside a cell and locked inside without another word. Hermione heard the cell door lock abruptly and she jumped. There were no guys in this cell. Just girls. She didn't recognize any of them from Hogwarts. She swallowed and went over to the corner where she sat down on the cold brick floor, curling into a ball, putting her chained arms around her knees and resting her chin on them. She listened to everyone talk, some of them were crying, some of them were hugging their friends goodbye.

"Oy! You! Get up!" a guard called into a holding cell. Hermione's head snapped up but she saw a blonde girl being yanked to her feet by the burly guard and towed out. Hermione watched her struggle hard, but the guard was stronger and the Dementors took her down to the courtroom. You could hear the girl's screams all the way down the hallway. Hermione cuddled further into her knees, her brain not shutting off. She could probably get some sleep here, even though it was probably below zero degrees and absolutely freezing. She felt people staring at her. She looked over and met eyes with a witch who walked forward.

"…Excuse me, but are you that girl that helped Harry Potter win the battle against You-Know-Who?" she asked as the others watched for her reaction. Hermione sat up a little straighter and nodded. The witch smiled at her as the other people sighed in relief. They all sat down, looking at her.

"Do you have any idea how to get out of this? We read that you were one of the smartest witches in your year at Hogwarts. It was in The Quibbler." She told her. Hermione looked at her and blushed. She looked down at her hands.

"I'm sorry but I'm not the smartest witch in my year anymore. Things change. I don't know how to get out of this. I'm as trapped as you are." Hermione told them. The entire cell looked extremely disappointed. The witch laid a hand on Hermione's shoulder with a look of sadness on her face.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck, my dear. We all do." They got up and broke off into groups again, leaving Hermione in the back of the cell by herself. Hermione looked at them and then down at her hands again. That was when she heard a stifled sob from somewhere close to her. She turned her face towards the noise and saw a girl, who looked about her age with short dark hair and bright blue eyes sitting in the shadow of the wall, curled into a loose ball, very much like she was. Her thin form was trembling badly as she looked around wildly from under her black bangs, which hid her eyes a little. Hermione watched the tears run down her cheeks and felt pity for her. She got up and went over hesitantly.

"…Hey…I'm Hermione. Can I sit with you?" she asked kindly. The girl's head snapped up to look at her. Her blue eyes roamed her face for a moment, and then she sniffed and nodded, blinking tears out of her eyes. Hermione slowly sat down beside her and looked at her hands again. "…What's your name?" she inquired tentatively. The girl looked at Hermione.

"…S-Sparkle." She said quietly, her voice breaking. Hermione looked at her and gave her a smile.

"That's a pretty name, Sparkle. Why did your parents name you that?" she asked. Sparkle glanced at Hermione's face before unwrapping her hand from around her torso and showing it to her. Hermione looked at it and noticed that her pointer finger was a stunning silver color. The sunlight, which was pouring through a very small window on the wall, hit it and it suddenly gave off an amazing amount of white light. Hermione looked at it and smiled softly, watching the light dance off the ceiling of the dark cell.

"That's amazing." Hermione said in awe as she focused back on the girl, who had more tears running down her face. Hermione's smile faded a little as the girl spoke up.

"…You know…my parents tried to tell me not to go…m-my parents wanted me to be normal…they wanted me to give up being a witch a-and become a doctor for Muggles. They always said that I was special, but I'm not…I'm a freak. They never understood that I couldn't stop being a witch because that was who I was." Sparkle said. Hermione listened closely, watching her face. "…I ran away from home. I didn't want to be normal, like my parents wanted. But now I know that normal is better. B-because I can't stand this world any longer!" Sparkle sobbed, crying into her hands. Hermione hesitantly put her arm around her shaking form and rubbed her back as she cried. She knew exactly how she felt. Sparkle took deep breaths to calm herself and she looked at Hermione. "C-Can…can I tell you something?" she asked her. Hermione nodded, looking at her. Sparkle swallowed and turned a little bit towards her. She looked her right in the eye. "Adolf is going to have an heir." She said very quietly so only Hermione could hear. Hermione looked at her curiously.

"How do you know that? I thought his family was dead." Hermione said. Sparkle looked down and she unwound her arms from her torso to reveal a medium-sized bump on her stomach that definitely meant one thing. Hermione put that together with what she just said and her eyes widened. She stared at her stomach for a minute before she looked at Sparkle's face again. "…He…are you?"

"…Yes. It's his. I knew him before he became the Minister. Six months ago I ran away from my parents and he found me. I was near dead. I hadn't eaten anything in days and some people robbed me so I couldn't get anywhere. I ended up in a park somewhere close to King's Cross station. He found me, almost dead. He didn't know I was a Muggle-Born. He was my only hope of getting food and shelter. He told me that he'd take care of my needs if I took care of his. I didn't care about what that meant. I just needed water and something to eat. The next thing I know, I'm at his house and he's…doing things to me. But he did keep his promise. He fed me and gave me new clothes and sent me on my way. I didn't see him for months but…I started getting nauseous and I was hungrier than usual and…I realized what was wrong with me." Sparkle paused for a moment, just to see how Hermione was reacting. Hermione had a sad look on her face that made Sparkle tear up again. After a moment, she began talking again. "…A few days ago…I was sleeping on a subway and, all of a sudden, I was in so much pain. I was so scared. I thought something was wrong with the baby. Some person came and grabbed me and brought me here. I didn't hear anything about the Ministry rounding up Muggle-Borns… When I heard that Adolf was the Minister…I…I didn't know what to do. I'd heard about what he did to the Muggle-Borns that he had captured about the same time I was. I haven't been called in yet. But when I am and he sees me…I don't know what's going to happen to the baby…" Sparkle said as she got choked up again. Hermione couldn't find any words to say to her so she put her arms around her and gave her a hug. Sparkle hugged back, tears running down her cheeks.

"It's going to be okay." Hermione comforted as she held her close. "It's going to be fine. Maybe he won't send you to Azkaban if you tell him about the baby." She said, trying to sound like that would work. "You've got to mention it to him."

"But what if that just makes him even angrier? What if-," Sparkle started but she cut off as soon as the cell door banged open. Hermione and Sparkle jumped and looked in the general direction of the door as two guards came in. They looked around at all the Muggle-Borns and checked their wooden planks, looking at their names. Hermione held Sparkle's hand as they watched them pass by everyone and start towards them. They came to Sparkle and Hermione and checked their name plates. The guard quickly looked at the two of them and grabbed Sparkle.

"C'mon." He said, yanking her to her feet roughly. Hermione stood in alarm, still clutching her hand.

"No! Please! Please!" Sparkle yelled, struggling against the guards strong arms. Hermione held tightly to her hand. Sparkle looked at Hermione with panic in her eyes. "Help me! Please, don't let them take me, Hermione!" she begged, tears pouring down her cheeks. Hermione looked at her helplessly as the other of the another guard grabbed her and yanked her away from Sparkle. Hermione struggled against his hands reflexively but it was no use. When Sparkle realized that, she looked at Hermione, her struggles becoming nothing.

"Thank you, Hermione, for being my friend. I'll never forget you." She said in a tone that was blank, defeated. Hermione looked into her eyes as the guards towed Sparkle out of the cell and realized that Sparkle was indeed her friend. The guard let go of Hermione, walked out with the other guard and shut the cell door just as the night began to creep through the tiny window, engulfing them all in endless darkness**.**


	10. Chapter 10

~Chapter 10: Compromise~

Hermione didn't sleep a wink that night. She stayed awake and waited for any sign or sound of Sparkle, any clue as to where she would be. At around 3:30 in the morning, the guards came in and selected another person. Hermione didn't see Sparkle again that night.

At around 5:00 AM, the guards came in and looked around. Hermione had finally been able to doze off a little when the guards grabbed her and shook her awake. She stirred and opened her eyes to see guards dragging her out of her cell. Her mind was buzzing with panic again, but she didn't fight. The guards made sure she was awake and they lead her through the dark and narrow hallway towards the courtroom. She looked around, trying to take in everything, trying to find Sparkle, but still no sign of her. They got to the doors of the courtroom and pushed them open. Suddenly, Hermione was blinded by a bright light and then she was being pushed in a chair, her handcuffs being harshly ripped off her and her hands being put in shackles that were attached to the arm of the chairs. She also felt her ankles being shackled as the guards walked out of the room. Hermione looked around the circular courtroom, taking in the black seats, the paneled floor, the grand stand that was right in front of her. She craned her head up and saw Dolores Umbridge sitting in the seat of the grand stand, looking down at Hermione with a smile planted on her lips. Her cat patronus sat beside her, staring at her also. She looked up and saw Dementors floating in a bubbly cage at the top of the ceiling, the patronus sending up little silver pulsations to keep the Dementors from coming down. Hermione swallowed and looked back at Umbridge, then noticed someone else in the room. She looked to Umbridge's left and, in one of the seats, was Rita Skeeter. Hermione's mouth hung open a little bit as she took in Rita in her expensive bright electric green suit, her lighter green glasses and her Quick-Quotes Quill, already whizzing along a notepad, which was hovering in mid-air by her face. Hermione felt her heart plummeting into her shoes. She remembered what she did to get back at Rita. She watched her as Rita turned to look at Hermione. She gave a big toothy smile and waved daintily at her. Rage built up inside Hermione and she went to lurch forwards but just rebounded back into her seat, the hand and ankle cuffs holding her down. She looked at her wrists and growled lightly under her breath. All the people that she'd gotten back at and held grudges against her were in this room. All you'd have to do would be to add Lavender Brown into this mix and they'd be set. Hermione looked around for anyone else and saw one other person: The Minister. She took in his black, slicked-back hair and beady eyes and tall, spidery frame. He looked at her coldly and Hermione glared back.

"_Hem hem!"_ Umbridge cleared her throat annoyingly and the hairs on the back of Hermione's neck stood on end. She slowly took her hateful glare and transferred it over to Umbridge, who was still smiling brightly at her. She shuffled her papers for a moment and then she looked at Rita Skeeter. "Are you ready to begin Ms. Skeeter?" Rita nodded eagerly, her glasses resting on the tip of her nose, smiling just as brightly as she was. Umbridge turned back to Hermione, her chair creaking under her weight. Hermione felt the rage bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

"Hermione Jean Granger. Daughter of Wendel and Monica Wilkens, also known as Mr. and Mrs. Granger-,"

"What?! How do you know my parents are Wendel and-," Hermione started, but Umbridge interrupted her.

"Lover to Ronald Bilius Weasley-,"

"_I am not his lover! We went over this-,"_

"Currently living at The Burrow, the Weasley family's home residence-,"

"Your information is faulty-," Hermione snarled at her as she just continued to speak.

"A wand was taken upon your arrival at the Ministry-," Umbridge held up the wand that she took from the Room of Requirement, which was Bellatrix Lestrange's wand. "Miss Granger, is this that wand?" Hermione looked at Umbridge with hate in her eyes.

"You know bloody well-," Hermione tried again, but this time, Rita interrupted her.

"Answer her question!" Rita said, her notepad pausing. Umbridge sighed.

"Ms. Skeeter, I can handle this courtroom without your help." She said snidely, and then looked back at Hermione. "Answer the question, Miss Granger. If you refuse, you will be subjected to the Dementor's kiss." Umbridge urged a smile on her toad-like lips. Hermione glared at her.

"Yes. That is the wand." She said through her teeth. Umbridge nodded and kept the wand held up.

"Can you tell me, Miss Granger, which witch or wizard you took this wand from?" Umbridge inquired. Hermione swallowed, her palms starting to itch, like they do every time she's scared. She wanted to play with her fingers. It soothed her. But the restraints held her wrists apart and she felt like she was going to go insane.

"Bellatrix Lestrange." Hermione mumbled, now looking down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them. Umbridge smiled at her.

"So, you aren't denying that you stole a magical instrument from a being with magical abilities?" Umbridge inquired.

"No, I'm not. But she stole my wand first. My real wand that I bought at Olivander's was stolen from me when we were fighting against Voldemort." Hermione said, knowing they'd get all of this information out of her eventually. Umbridge looked like she'd won a Nobel Prize.

"Oh, I don't think so Miss Granger. You couldn't have bought a wand because the wand chooses a witch or wizard, and you are neither." Umbridge told her in a know-it-all voice. Hermione gritted her teeth, fighting against the restraints.

"I'm a witch, you bloody old hag! A witch! Let me out of these restraints and you'll see how much of a witch I can be!" Hermione yelled, her voice echoing throughout the otherwise empty room. Rita looked like she was about to burst with joy as she now took her quill and notepad and wrote down the interrogation herself, sticking her tongue out in concentration as she did so. Umbridge laughed girlishly again.

"Oh, that isn't likely, Miss Granger." Umbridge said in a sweet voice. Hermione was too focused on Umbridge to notice that Adolf had gotten up and was now coming towards her chair, coming down out of the black seats to look at her. Rita laughed along with Umbridge.

"Look who's caught now!" Rita chortled, smiling in a sinister way. Hermione fought against her restraints.

"That's quite enough, Ms. Skeeter. Now, Miss Granger, tell me. You are quite an accomplished student in school, is that correct?" Umbridge inquired. Hermione's struggles became less as she remembered her days in Hogwarts's library, looking through thousands of books, memorizing all the needed pages from her homework assignments, even being teased by practically everyone around her for being a bookworm, a work-a-holic, a know-it-all. Hermione focused back in and swallowed.

"…Yes." She answered simply. Adolf made his way closer to Hermione, but she didn't notice.

"It says on your O.W.L's that you got all "Exceeds expectations" except for one class. Fifth year, Defence against the Dark Arts." Umbridge said. Hermione watched her and that hatred started to bubble inside her gut again. She held her tongue, afraid that what she might say would put Umbridge over the edge. Umbridge grinned at Hermione, leaning forward over the counter to take a closer look as well.

"…Miss Granger…do you honestly believe that you are a witch? Answer the question truthfully. You are the daughter of Muggles, are you not?" Umbridge said.

"…Yes."

"And you are, therefore, of Muggle blood, are you not?" asked Umbridge.

"…Yes."

"So, you are technically a Muggle, isn't that right, Miss Granger?" Umbridge inquired. Hermione thought about that, but she shook her head.

"I'm not a Muggle. I have magical abilities, like any other witch or wizard that exists. Just because I have Muggle parents and are of Muggle blood doesn't mean that I'm a-,"

"Miss Granger, you're a clever girl. Don't lie to yourself. You know exactly what you are…and you are _not_ a witch. Your success in school all had to do with you studying hard, memorizing facts, even, if I may be so blunt, _sucking up _to teachers. Any Muggle can come into Hogwarts, wave a wand, study hard and ace all of their classes without any magical ability whatsoever. So, why do you think that you're any more special than a _Muggle_?" Umbridge asked her in a soft voice. Hermione stared at her, not able to even comprehend being a Muggle. Hermione looked down at her hands again and didn't answer her question. Umbridge waited for a moment. Even Rita Skeeter paused to watch Hermione. After about thirty seconds, Umbridge sighed.

"What a pity. People told me you were intelligent." Adolf said, standing right next to her. Hermione's head snapped over to see him there, watching her with his cold eyes. Adolf reached out his hand and moved a curl of her bushy brown hair out of the way of her face. "…You look like her, you know… you look like my wife…" he said softly as he stroked the side of her cheek. Hermione swallowed and clenched her fists, fury building up inside her yet again.

"…Well then, your wife must not have been a pretty woman." Hermione snarled at him. Adolf looked at her for a moment, an ounce of pain crossing his eyes before anger covered them. He raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face, sending her face jerking sideways much too quickly. The sound of the slap echoed throughout the courtroom for a good ten seconds before it faded off and everything became silent. The only sound there was was Hermione's quick, uneven breathing. Adolf looked at her, breathing rather quickly also. Hermione slowly turned her head to look into Adolf's anger-filled eyes. The anger melted away as he stared into Hermione's eyes.

"...Give her to the Dementors." He said in a wispy voice. He turned away from her as Hermione's eyes widened.

"No! No, please! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Hermione yelled, tears forming in her eyes. She wasn't thinking at all right now. She remembered her encounter with the Dementors in her Third year. She fainted after being around them for not even a minute. Adolf kept his back turned from her as Rita laughed.

"Yes, feed her to the Dementors! Oo, can I watch?" Rita asked as Umbridge straightened up, looking at the Minister.

"Minister? I was wondering whether we could…compromise." She said quietly. Hermione froze, looking at Umbridge with a strangled curiosity. Adolf didn't turn around or look at Umbridge.

"Proceed." Adolf said flatly.

"May I address the accused?" Umbridge asked. Adolf stepped aside again, his hands behind his back. He gestured for her to continue. Umbridge refocused on Hermione.

"Miss Granger. Do you know someone named Sparkle Ferris?" Umbridge inquired. Hermione glanced at Adolf, who had that angry look in his eyes again, clenching his fists. Hermione nodded to signify that she did. "Did you know that Miss Ferris told us that she'd give up her life for yours? She told us that if we let you live than we could take her instead?" Umbridge asked. Hermione's eyes widened.

"What?! Why did she do that?!" Hermione asked her. Umbridge shrugged.

"Ask her yourself." Umbridge said as the doors opened and two guards entered carrying a limp Sparkle, who looked like she'd been tortured already. Sparkle raised her head weakly and saw Hermione. She smiled very lightly at her as they thrust her into a chair that one of the guards grabbed. Hermione watched her and then looked back at Sparkle.

"Miss Ferris? Why did you want Hermione to live and you to die?" Umbridge asked Sparkle. Sparkle looked at her with tired eyes.

"…Because she deserves to live more than I do." She said weakly.

"Sparkle, stop this-," Hermione tried, but Sparkle just kept going.

"I've lived this life. I'd rather move on to another." Sparkle told Umbridge.

"Sparkle, the baby. Remember? Your baby? You have to live for your baby!" Hermione said, begging for her to understand. Sparkle looked at her as Umbridge began talking.

"What makes you think that we'd kill the baby, Miss Granger? After all, it is Adolf's child." Adolf winced as she said this. Hermione looked at her incredulously.

"…Hermione, I want this. They'll let me have my baby and then I'll be gone. It works out perfectly. Don't you see? We'll both be happy." Sparkle said in an almost whisper. Hermione looked back at her wildly.

"Your baby won't be happy with someone else as a mother! I mean, it'll be half blood, so you have to let it go." She said to Adolf. Adolf looked at her snidely.

"No, I don't. I'm the Minister. I can keep the child if I want. It's my child-,"

"And it's also Sparkle's child, and since the two of you aren't married, she gets the right to tell you whether you get to take care of the baby or not. She's the mother and has full responsibility of the child until it is of legal age to leave home." Hermione said. She'd read about magical law and she knew everything about it. Adolf looked at her in an almost surprised way.

"Well, what if the mother dies? Who does the child belong to then?" Adolf asked, crossing his arms. Umbridge and Rita also looked curious, and even Sparkle waited to hear her answer. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, don't you all read? When the child is born, the mother has to sign a paper saying who'll be the child's guardian if she passes away. _She _chooses who gets to take care of her child. And not even you can change that." Hermione told Adolf. Adolf looked at her with shock on his features.

"Well…why should I let you live anyway? You insulted me and my wife's appearance-,"

"Minister, I didn't insult her. By comparing your wife to someone like me, you're calling her ugly because, as you can see, I'm not what guys would like to call "a fetch"." Hermione said in a matter-of-fact voice. Adolf looked at her and nodded his head, as though he finally understood something.

"…You have very low self-esteem, don't you?" he asked her. Hermione felt a sting that pierced her heart. Of course she did. How could she not? She'd never be as beautiful as girls like Sparkle, or Ginny, or Fleur. She was plain and with being plain comes being ugly and being ignored by the opposite sex. Somehow her thoughts lingered to Ron. She pushed the images of how happy he looked when he was dancing with her at the Weasley's party, how in love he looked the morning after that amazing night that they shared. She pushed it to the back of her mind and focused on the question at hand.

"When you look like I do, you always have issues with self-esteem." She snarled at him, relying on anger. Adolf pondered that for a moment before he turned to Umbridge.

"What do you suggest we do now, Umbridge?"

"Well, Minister, my compromise is that Sparkle dies in Miss Granger's place. After she delivers the baby, of course." Umbridge said. Hermione didn't feel relief at all. She simply waited.

"And what do you suggest we do with Miss Granger?" he asked her.

"Well, you see Minister, Miss Granger and I have yet to settle something that occurred a couple years previous and, actually, a couple months ago. I was wondering whether you'd let me keep her and deal with her ignorance in any ways necessary. After all, if you put her in Azkaban, she's as good as gone. I'll keep her right in my office." Umbridge said, her voice returning to excitement. Adolf thought about that.

"…I see no problem with it. But, Miss Umbridge, you will remember that she needs a very firm hand. I'll come to see what progress you've made on her. I don't want to have another confrontation like we had today." He told her. Umbridge looked like she was about to jump over the podium and full-on kiss him.

"Thank you, Minister! I won't fail you! Thank you!" Umbridge said excitedly, almost bowing to him. Hermione watched her and felt a sinking feeling in her gut. She was going to have to stay with her for the rest of her life…or until she died. Or she'd most likely kill herself. Adolf took one last look at Umbridge and turned to Hermione.

"And if you don't behave, I swear upon my oath as Minister for Magic, that you will be punished in the worst way possible." Adolf told her coldly. Hermione glared at him as he turned to start walking away.

"How will you punish me?" Hermione asked him. Adolf froze with his back turned. He pulled out his wand and waved it. A picture appeared in front of him. He took it and turned around, holding it out to Hermione. The picture showed Hermione's parents, lying dead on what looked like dusty ground, the same dusty ground that was in Australia. Hermione's mouth dropped open, her heart racing.

"Let's just say that your cute little family fighting to keep you away from me earned your parents a one way ticket to Hell." He said, holding the photo. Hermione's eyes filled with tears, her breathing uneven and incredibly fast. This couldn't be true. It wasn't true. He was just bluffing. He was just trying to make her think that she had no power here. "And, oh…look at this…" he summoned a moving picture of the whole Weasley family, including Harry. They all smiled at her, laughing, their arms around each other. Hermione's chin trembled as she looked at Ron's goofy smile as he slung his arm over Harry's shoulders, laughing joyfully, his eyes sparkling in that special way they always do. Tears poured down Hermione's cheeks. "If you don't cooperate…there will be one less family of Blood Traitors on this earth." He said in a calming voice. He folded the pictures, both the family portrait of the Weasley's and the picture of her dead parents, and put them gently in her jean pocket. Adolf took one last look at Hermione before turning and leaving the courtroom. Rita looked at Hermione with a slight smirk but she soon got up, snapped her crocodile handbag closed and walked out of the room. Umbridge got up swiftly.

"Guards, take this filth to my chambers please." She ordered in a strong voice. Hermione sobbed quietly, shaking, closing her eyes. Her parents couldn't be dead. It wasn't possible.

The guards grabbed Hermione, taking the cuffs off her wrists and ankles, and they towed her away just as Sparkle gave one last look at Hermione and was towed away herself. Hermione couldn't walk so the guards dragged her all the way to Umbridge's office. Umbridge had followed them up and she pulled out her wand. She conjured up a small cage, much like a cell, that was just big enough for Hermione to stand and walk a couple feet and lay down on the floor. The guards opened the cell door and threw Hermione's limp, shaking form into the cell and slammed the door, locking it. Hermione didn't notice the guards and Umbridge leaving, going back down to the courtrooms to continue with the questioning. Hermione laid on the cold cell floor and sobbed, feeling no hope left in her body. She waited for any sign of relief, whether it be fainting, or something more. But soon, she was too tired to cry anymore and she fell fast asleep, her dreams filled with the horror-filled situation that was about to be her life.


	11. Chapter 11

~Chapter 11: Worse than death~

"We've got to think." Mr. Weasley said, pacing. Hogwarts had been closed for the time being. The only people that were here were the staff and the Weasley family. The students had been sent home. Even some of the teachers had gone on holiday. Hogwarts couldn't be run. More than half of the teachers were gone, the students were scared out of their minds, no one could focus on classwork at all, and Professor McGonagall was in the St. Mungo's, getting treatment. Umbridge had wounded her extremely. Even if she was a strong witch, her body was old. She was frail now, but she was getting better with every day.

The Weasleys were in the Gryffindor common room. Ginny and Harry sat in the loveseat, holding hands, looking worried, Mrs. Weasley was sitting on a comfortable chair, watching her husband pace as she knitted to keep herself calm. Percy sat in the corner of the room, looking annoyed, George was sitting with Charlie on one of the couches, deep in thought, Fleur was sitting with Bill, who now had a black patch of skin on his cheek from the jinx he got in the face during the battle. She cuddled into him, watching Mr. Weasley also. Ron was sitting by himself, closer to his dad than normal. Ron was thinking as well.

"Who do we know that has been in Azkaban?" Mr. Weasley thought out loud. Ron thought hard for a moment.

"…We have our pick of Death Eaters...?" Charlie joked quietly. Ron shot him a glare.

"Shut it." he snarled, then started thinking again. He'd been in a nasty mood since Hermione was captured. He hadn't talked to anyone about it yet, but Ginny was determined to get something out of him.

"Ron, you don't need to talk to your brother like that." Mrs. Weasley said sharply. Ron didn't even back off, like he normally did. Ginny quickly dove into the conversation so her mum didn't notice.

"Well, what about Lucius Malfoy? He's been in Azkaban." Ginny said.

"Not bloody likely." George muttered.

"He wouldn't want to talk to us. We're the enemy. Besides, I'm sure they're hiding somewhere." Harry said.

"Like cockroaches." George muttered.

"Well then, who? Does anyone else have any ideas?" Bill asked.

"I think Ginny's right. We should talk to the Malfoys. Or at least Lucius. He might know something." Charlie suggested. Ron growled, snapping his head in Charlie's direction.

"I'm not going to talk to that viper of a man." Ron said fiercely. Ginny glared at him.

"I thought you'd do anything to get Hermione back, Ron." She said snidely. Ron turned on her.

"Bloody hell, Ginny, shut your trap!" Ron hollered. "I'm doing my best-!"

"And it'll never be enough!" Percy shouted over him. The room went quiet. Percy got up and went over to them, looking angry and annoyed with Ron. "Why don't you just give up now? Your girlfriend is as good as dead anyways. No one has ever and will ever sneak into Azkaban, so stop thinking you will!" Percy exclaimed.

"Percy! Stop that!" Mrs. Weasley snapped from her seat, looking fiery. Percy put his hands up, making a "what'd I do?" face.

"What?! It's true! You are all kidding yourselves if you believe that you can get into Azkaban uncovered! It's crawling with Dementors!" Percy said as though it wasn't obvious.

"Yeah, like we didn't already know that, you idiot!" Ron yelled. Percy exhaled.

"Ron, don't you get it?! Hermione is _gone! _Gone and not coming back! Why can't we all just move on with our lives?!" Percy asked incredulously.

"She's not gone! She's not! Just shut up! We have to figure something out!" Ron said, glaring at his brother. Percy shook his head.

"When you see her name on the Mudblood death list, then you'll understand!" Percy shouted.

"Percy!" Ginny exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Stop it!"

"No, I won't! Our family is already disgraced enough! We're blood traitors because we hang around Mudbloods and what for? To win their approval? To befriend them? Why? They're no different than Muggles!" said Percy. They all stared at him in shock.

"Listen to yourself, Perce. You sound like the Minister." Charlie said, sounding almost ashamed. Percy looked at them.

"Well, I believe the Minister may have a point. I mean, they're basically Muggles!" Percy spit out

"And what's wrong with Muggles?" Mr. Weasley piped up, crossing his arms. Percy looked at him, sputtering, trying to find words.

"EVERYTHING! They're normal, dad! They're not like us!" Percy exploded.

"So, we aren't normal? What are we, Percy? Are we freaks?" George asked, getting up.

"NO! We're special. We're different." Percy told them.

"I'm not special or different. And Hermione is not normal." Ron said. "If you say that, then you're bloody bonkers."

"Ron! I don't care how abnormal you think she is! She's not a witch." Percy said firmly. Harry got up, his fists clenched.

"She _is_ a witch! She's the best witch of our year and she's the best one I've ever met!"

"Boys-," Mrs. Weasley started, but Percy just kept talking.

"That's pathetic! You're all thick! Hermione isn't a witch! She's a Mudblood and she deserved what she got!" Percy hollered. Ron lurched forward and grabbed Percy, pushing him up against the wall and punching him right across the face. Fleur screamed as Harry and Ginny grabbed at Ron and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley yelled for them to stop fighting.

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL HER A MUDBLOOD! DON'T YOU DARE!" Ron bellowed at the top of his lungs as Ginny and Harry managed to get him off Percy, who was already sporting a particularly nasty looking black eye. Percy jumped to grab Ron, but Bill and Charlie grabbed him and pulled him back as well.

"I'LL CALL HER WHATEVER I PLEASE! SHE'S DESTROYING OUR FAMILY!" Percy yelled back as he struggled to get to Ron and Ron fought to get free of Harry and Ginny.

"NO, PERCY! _YOU'RE _DESTROYING IT! YOU'RE ACTING LIKE YOU HATE BEING PART OF HIS FAMILY!" Ron shouted back, his eyes flaming.

"WELL, MAYBE I DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF THIS FAMILY ANYMORE!" Percy growled. Bill and Charlie's hands dropped immediately, both shocked at their brother's words. Even Ron stopped fighting as Harry and Ginny froze, looking at Percy in disbelief.

"Percy dear, don't be ridiculous-!" said Mrs. Weasley, coming forward to hug him. Percy shrugged her off with a nasty look on his face.

"No, mother. I'm not going to do this anymore. I'm going back to the Ministry." Mrs. Weasley looked at her son with big shocked eyes. Mr. Weasley stepped forward.

"Son, you can't do this to us. Not again. What the Ministry is doing…it's wrong. Don't you understand that? You'll break your mother's heart if you leave again and frankly, you'll be breaking mine too." Mr. Weasley told him, looking at him with sad eyes. Percy looked at his dad and pulled his coat on, summoning his bags from upstairs with his wand. He picked up his bags and straightened his collar.

"…Consider them broken." He said flatly. Mr. Weasley looked like he'd been slapped across the face. "I can't be a part of this family if it's going to continue to be the embarrassment that it already is. I consider myself disowned. You all should too..." He looked at everyone once before he turned and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Mrs. Weasley watched him leave and she started crying silently. Mr. Weasley stood there for a moment, staring at the door before he went over and put his arms around his wife, letting her cry into his shoulder, his eyes flaring with sadness. Ginny went over and rubbed her mum's shoulder soothingly as she cried. George gritted his teeth, clenching his fists.

"Don't worry about him, mum. He doesn't care about you so you shouldn't care about him." George told her.

"George!" Ginny exclaimed as her mother sobbed harder into her husband's shoulder. George took one look at his mother and just left, slamming the door behind him. Bill and Fleur watched him leave as well.

"…We…We should get back to Shell Cottage. We have to pay rent." Bill said quietly, getting up with Fleur, holding her hand. "We'll be in touch." He said quietly, looking Charlie in the face, clapping Ron on his shoulder, kissing Ginny's cheek and leaving with Fleur. Charlie sighed.  
"…So, that's it then? We're just going to give up on this all together?" Ron asked, looking at how defeated everyone was. No one answered him. "…Fine. I'll keep researching on my own. I'll be down in the library." Ron mumbled, going out too and shutting the door. He traveled down to the library and looked at how empty it was. He took a breath and set off, looking for anything that might help him find Hermione and bring her back to him safe and sound.

Hermione felt herself stir out of sleep. She opened her eyes and saw the ceiling of her cell. Hermione felt memories coming back to her: the trial, Sparkle, Rita Skeeter, the Minister. She also remembered Umbridge and the compromise that she made with Adolf. When Hermione remembered Adolf, she remembered his pictures…his promise. She felt her hand flicker towards her pant pocket and felt the folded pictures there. Hermione felt her eyes sting, her stomach dropping again. But, her eyes were dry and sore and no more tears would come. That was when Hermione heard someone in the room with her. Hermione listened closely, still staring at the ceiling, and heard what sounded like a spoon against china. Someone was having tea. Hermione heard her stomach growl. When she was sure she could, Hermione slowly sat up, her head spinning wildly. She saw pink. Everywhere. The walls were pink. She also heard quiet meowing sounds and she saw Umbridge's cat plates on the walls. Hermione blinked and looked over to see, through the cell bars, Umbridge sitting at her desk, sipping from a pink teacup, staring at the wall in front of her. Hermione felt that strong hatred inside her, but she was too tired to do anything. When Umbridge set her tea down, she noticed Hermione was sitting up, quite awake, and she smiled sweetly at her.

"Oh good, you're awake." She said in her high girlish voice. Hermione just stared at her through her red puffy eyes. Umbridge got up, holding her wand and went over to her cage, smiling down at Hermione, who kept staring at her. Umbridge swooshed her wand and the cell door unlocked and slid out of the way. Hermione watched it and then looked up at Umbridge. "Come along dear. Get up. We have some lines for you to write." Umbridge said. Hermione pieced that together and got up. She looked at the door and thought of running, but then she remembered what happened to her parents and how the Minister would do that to Ron and his family if she didn't cooperate. Hermione looked at the tiny desk in front of Umbridge's with a long piece of parchment and bright red quill. She slowly got out of the cell and Umbridge got her to sit down at the desk. Hermione looked at Umbridge as she held out the red quill to her. Hermione swallowed and took the quill with her shaking hand. Umbridge sat down in the comfortable-looking chair at her desk and sighed, watching Hermione.

"I'm so excited! You have the amazing opportunity of being the first person to try out the new quills!" Umbridge said in a happy voice. Hermione watched her silently, clenching her jaw. Umbridge grinned at her. "My dear, I would like you to write lines, just like we did a couple years ago? Do you remember?" Umbridge asked her sweetly. Hermione forced herself not to raise her eyebrow. Clenching her teeth, sh nodded, looking down and biting her tongue. Umbridge smiled toadishly at her. "Okay. I would like you to write… "I am not a witch"." Umbridge said to her. A flare of anger built up inside Hermione's chest. She opened her mouth to speak, but Umbridge raised her chubby hand at her. "Remember, Miss Granger, you have to be a good girl and do exactly what I say." She chided. Hermione ground her teeth and looked down at the blank piece of parchment. She set her quill down. _I am not a witch. _ She wrote at the very top of her page. The back of her left hand started to tingle a little as she moved down and wrote it again. _I am not a witch._ Then, she felt a sharp searing pain and she gasped. She looked over and saw letters being carved into her skin, very slowly. _I…am…not…a…witch._ She watched it appear on her pale skin as the pain flared. She swallowed and turned back to her page. _I am not a witch. I am not a witch. I am not a witch. _Every time she would write it, she felt the cuts on her hand get even deeper and soon, blood trickled down her hand, making a tiny pool appear on the desk. 'New quills'. Hermione understood now. The other quills that Umbridge had used the years before carved words into your skin, but the skin healed over. These quills didn't allow the skin to heal over before they wrote something else. She tried to think of a way to make it less painful. She wrote slower and pressed less on the parchment. For a moment, her plan seemed to be working, but then she felt a sharp shock crawl up her hand. She jumped, a squeak of pain escaping her lips. Umbridge looked at her and smiled softly.

"You'd better write faster, my dear." She told her warmly. Hermione looked at her sharply, then down at her quill. These 'new quills' were worse than the old ones. She set the quill to her paper and wrote it again._ I am not a witch. I am not a witch. I am not a witch._ The words kept etching themselves into her hand, deeper and deeper into her flesh as she continued to write it over and over again. _I am not a witch. I am not a witch. I am not a witch._

Soon, Hermione was crouching over the paper, her breathing coming up her throat in irregular spurts and out of her mouth. Her hand trembled as she wrote on the paper and, after not even three minutes, she was finished the page. Hermione looked up at Umbridge, who was watching her pleasantly, sipping her hot tea, which smelled amazing, a slight smile on her face.

"…T-there's no m-more room l-left." Hermione stuttered, her voice shaking. Umbridge smiled brightly at her, leaned forward and swished her wand over the paper, making her writing disappear, leaving her with a blank page once again. Hermione felt no less pain than before as she stared at Umbridge.

"Continue at the top, Miss Granger." Umbridge said pleasantly, sitting back and taking a big bite out of a crumpet she had on a tiny silver plate beside her tea. Hermione licked her lips, her stomach growling. She hadn't eaten in nearly 3 days. She felt lightheaded. Umbridge looked at her. "Miss Granger?" she called. Hermione broke out of her façade and looked at her for a moment. "Continue at the top." She repeated. Hermione looked back down at her page and began writing again. _I am not a witch. I am not a witch. I am not a witch. _Over and over she wrote this. The blood was now dripping onto the floor and going onto the parchment, which soaked it up and added more pain to her already agonizing left hand. Hermione sucked in air and let it out, trying to ignore the pain, but being unsuccessful. She kept writing and writing, it getting more and more painful with every stroke of her quill. After about half an hour of writing, Umbridge got up and waved her wand. The quill, parchment and blood disappeared, leaving Hermione staring at the empty desk, her hands trembling. She stared at her left hand and her own handwriting etched into her skin. A bead of blood trickled out of the cuts. _I am not a witch. _Umbridge went around her desk and looked at Hermione's hand.

"Oh dear. That's not nearly deep enough. Well, live and learn." She smiled at Hermione, who looked up shakily. "We'll have to continue longer tomorrow." Umbridge gestured to the cage, smiling. Hermione mustered her strength and shakily got up and went into the cell, the door slamming shut behind her and locking. Umbridge looked through the bars at Hermione for a moment. "Well, I must be off. Lots of questioning to do! I'll be back later. Go ahead and relax, my dear! You'll be here for a while!" she smiled in a silky sweet way and left, closing her door. Hermione watched her leave, her hands grasping the cold bars. After a while she turned around and sat down. She pulled out the pictures from her pocket and unfolded them. She stared at her mother and father laying on the dusty ground of Australia, pale, their eyes open and blank, staring up at her in an almost sad and disappointed way. Hermione swallowed, her chin trembling. Her eyes ached with emptiness as she stared at her parent's dead faces. She stroked her mother's cheek on the picture and had a flashback to when she was little.

_"Mummy, mummy!" a four year old Hermione ran into her mum's arms, giggling adorably. Her mum hugged her tightly._

_ "Hey Mione, honey! How was school?" her mother asked her, pulling back and pushing a brown curl out of her eyes. Hermione smiled at her mother, showing her smaller baby teeth off. Her brown hair was shorter, but still very bushy. She had pale skin and her big chocolate brown eyes were adorable._

_ "It was great, mummy! Ms. Keener gave us our journals today and she made us write our alphabet in them! Of course, I was the _only _person there who completed it. Everyone else was being thick and wouldn't write all the letters down-," as little Hermione talked, she pulled out her notebook and showed her mum the first page, which was full of beautifully written lower and uppercase letters, from A to Z. Mrs. Granger smiled brightly and kissed Hermione's little forehead. Even when Hermione was four, she was extremely intelligent and book smart._

_ "That's fantastic, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you! Did you do anything else today?" she asked her. Hermione shrugged her tiny shoulders, closing her notepad and putting it in her bag._

_ "Not really. I sat on the wall and read the dictionary you got me during recess. It was curious. Alisha was calling me a book worm. I didn't understand…what's a book worm? Do you think I'm a worm, mummy?" Hermione asked her, her wide eyes sad and desperate for answers. Mrs. Granger looked at her daughter and led her over to the couch, sitting down with her, cuddling her into her side._

_ "No Hermione, I don't think you're a worm…when someone calls you a book worm it means that they think you're very smart and you like books. It's a very nice compliment." She said. Hermione looked confused._

_ "Then why did she say it like it was meant to be an insult?" Hermione inquired. Mrs. Granger sighed._

_ "Some people think it's a bad thing to be a book worm because they're scared you'll be smarter than them." she smiled and kissed her nose and Hermione smiled back, cuddling into her mum._

_ "I just don't like it when girls tease me like that. But whenever I try to tell them to stop, my voice gets caught in my throat." Hermione said in an ashamed voice, her smile fading. Mrs. Granger watched her daughter and squeezed her shoulders._

_ "You know what, hun? You need to stand up for yourself. You need to hold your head high, like this-," Mrs. Granger jerked her chin up. Hermione copied her. "And straighten your shoulders, like this-," she squared her shoulders and Hermione copied her again. "And you need to say "Stop being mean to me because you're jealous of my cleverness." Mrs. Granger said. Hermione smiled and jerked her chin up and squared her shoulders. _

_ "Stop being mean to me because you're jealous of my cleverness." She said in a strong, firm voice. Mrs. Granger laughed, smiling brightly._

_ "That's it. Now, I'm making some cookies for tea later. Do you want to help?" Mrs. Granger asked. Hermione looked at her hesitantly._

_ "I would love to mum, but I haven't finished memorizing page 566 of the dictionary yet." Hermione told her, getting up. Mrs. Granger laughed and shook her head._

_ "Alright, Hermione. Go read. I'll call you when dinner is ready." She said. Hermione smiled, gave her mummy a kiss and ran off, grabbing her bag and going to her room to read and memorize her dictionary._

Hermione focused back in on her picture, feeling her eyes re-fill with tears. It felt better this way. They didn't feel dry or achy when they were tear-filled. They felt normal. Her hands shook. The picture slipped from her cold fingers. She wrapped her arms around herself, a sob coming up her throat. She closed her eyes, pushing tears onto her pale cheeks. Her mum was the reason she was the way she was. Her father had a little to do with it, but most of her personality was her mother's. She could almost hear her mother's voice in her head. "Hermione, don't forget your homework." "Honestly Hermione, don't you understand?!" Hermione had her temper too, much to her father's dismay. Hermione got her kindness and caring spirit from her dad and, of course, she looked like her dad. Back in the day, her dad had the same bushy head of brown hair and brown eyes and he had bigger front teeth too. Hermione didn't get her mother's flawless looks. She was stunning, even as a middle-aged witch. Hermione got her dad's looks and, as handsome as he was, his looks needed to stay with the male race. She missed her dad's laughter, her mother's perfume, and her kisses before she went to bed, her father complimenting her mother and her mother completely ignoring it with a blush on her cheeks. Hermione thought of her father and of all the times that they had together. Her father was her comedic relief. He had a sense of humor that no one could beat. He could make her smile with one look. They use to play this game. If Hermione was annoyed with him for some reason, or angry or frustrated, her dad would say "You'll smile in three seconds. One…two…" and, sure enough, by the time he reached two, she'd be grinning brightly. Other than her looks, she got her wonderful use of sarcasm from her father. He was quite quick with his tongue, and had a wide use of words that most people didn't understand and he was one of those people that made up words and they actually made sense. It was amazing, although Hermione got annoyed when he said he was "Flustrated" and she'd tell him off for not using proper words. He'd just laugh and keep saying the word until Hermione would smile or laugh and all would be well. He and his wife were well off, being dentists and they gave Hermione a very nice life in a small, but comfortable home. But somehow, after a couple years, Hermione noticed them getting sadder. She'd noticed they wouldn't smile as much as they would and the sparkle was gone from their eyes. When Hermione was in her fourth year at Hogwarts, she had written a very long letter to her mother about Victor Krum and how the Yule Ball went and she got a very short reply: _Dearest Hermione, I am glad that you are enjoying your days at school and I'm thrilled that you found a boy. Your father and I are on overload at the clinic and we probably won't have enough time to reply to all your letters. We'll try though, honey. We love you very much. All my love, mum. _Hermione thought it was odd when she read it. Her mother was a very gifted writer. She'd written many novels that she read to Hermione all through her growing up, and she was also a very involved mother. She wanted to know all the details and this conversation with her mother was something that she actually wanted to tell her everything that happened. Closer to the end of the year, Hermione was reading a book in Muggle studies and she came across something odd. It said that dentists had the highest suicide rate of any profession. Hermione talked to her mum about it when she got home that year, but she brushed it off as just being tired. Her and her mother started to drift apart as the years went by and her dad soon became her best friend. Her mum became more and more depressed. Her husband even noticed. It got so bad that, when it came time to wipe her parent's memory, Hermione made her mother remember how happy she was before any of this depression started. When Hermione left the house, she felt a huge amount of relief, not only that she was finally happy once again, but that she was free of any memories that she had been bottling up inside her for that long.

Hermione looked at the picture and propped it up against the wall, along with her picture of the Weasley family. She laid her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to remember the good times with her parents before any of this ever happened to the Granger family.


	12. Chapter 12

~Chapter 12: Shocking turn of events~

Ron slept soundlessly in the library, his head on a huge book he was using as a pillow. He'd been researching all night and he'd just fallen asleep an hour ago. Ginny had woken up and noticed Ron hadn't come back yet, so she traveled down the empty hallways, down the stairs and into the library. She peered around the corner at a book case.

"Ron?" she called. She looked in each aisle until she came to the third last one where she saw Ron, sleeping soundly, hunched onto the book. Ginny went over quietly and gently shook him awake. Ron stirred and looked over at Ginny sleepily.

"Oh, hey." He mumbled, rubbing his eyes on his sleeve. Ginny gave him a tiny smile.

"I've never seen someone spend an entire night in a library." She said to him. Ron smirked.

"I have. One time during our fifth year, while I was dating Lavender, and Hermione wouldn't go into the common room because-,"

"You and Lavender couldn't keep your filthy paws off each other. Yeah, I know. When Hermione did come up to the common room, I heard _all_ about it." Ginny said with a slight smirk on her face. Ron flinched a little at the memories and nodded.

"…Yeah. So anyways, I had to get up early in the morning before classes to grab a book for Potions, and normally Hermione would come with me to help me find my books, but she and I hadn't talked in days so I went alone. I was bloody lost. I looked everywhere for that stupid book and found Hermione instead, sleeping on her Runes book. She heard me coming and she woke up. We didn't talk for a moment, but then she said "You forgot your potions book, didn't you?" Ron chuckled softly. "She always knew what I needed, even when I didn't. She always had a quill when I forgot mine, she always had the textbook I forgot, and she always had parchment. She had everything. It was like she could…read my mind or sniff out what I'd forgotten." Ron told his sister, looking at the book he'd been sleeping on, a tiny smile on his face. Ginny looked at him and smiled.

"Did she help you find your book?" she inquired. Ron sighed.

"Yes. Without stopping to look at the shelf, she reached up and grabbed the exact book that I needed and without a word, she handed it to me, grabbed her books and left the library." Ron said.

"And how'd that make you feel?" Ginny asked him.

"Bloody awful. I didn't deserve that. I deserved to get yelled at by Snape and sent to detention. Hell, I deserved to get yelled at by Hermione. I saw how much it hurt her and I just continued with Lavender as though me and Hermione's friendship didn't matter after all those years. I didn't even take her to Slughorn's Christmas party." Ron said in an ashamed voice. Ginny rubbed his shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'm sure she learned her lesson when she took McLaggen." Ginny joked. "He wasn't exactly the best choice." Ron smirked at her.

"Yeah, she learned that the hard way." He said. They sat in silence for a moment before Ginny looked at the book Ron was previously using as a pillow. She read the title: "_Azkaban prison: the experience." _It was by Java Martin. She was a robber that got out of Azkaban years ago. She wrote a book about what it was like to cope with the insanity and anxiety that followed her home from the prison. Ginny picked it up and read the paragraph at the top of the page aloud.  
"_I couldn't remember the feel of human skin, the smell of fall air, the sound of laughter. All of these memories disappeared and were soon replaced by new ones.  
"In the months that I was in Azkaban, unspeakable wrongs were done to me. I was put in a cell with many male fugitives and they all raped me one by one. The Dementors stayed at the cell doors and fed off of my screams and pleads for help. I've never been able to forget that helpless feeling. It was the most horrid experience I'd ever felt up to that point. After I was sent to court and deemed not guilty for my charges, I was set free. As much as this was a relief, it wasn't. I realized not two months after being released that I was pregnant."_ Ginny looked at Ron, who was now staring pointedly at the front cover of the book, his eyes flaming. Ginny looked down and read the last of the paragraph. "_My son, Doxa, is now four and I am turning 19 this coming August. He's the sweetest, most caring boy in the world, but questions haunt his mind. He asks me why people in his class have two parents and he only has one. He asks who his daddy is. He asks when or if he'll ever meet his father and I honestly can't answer any of his questions because I don't know which one of the men that raped me is Doxa's father and I will never know. Azkaban will not let me take DNA samples from the men that assaulted me. They refuse to let me find out the truth, but I promised Doxa that no matter how long it takes, I will find out who his daddy is, if it takes months, years or a lifetime."_ Ginny finished and looked at Ron, who was still glaring at the front cover. Ginny gently shut the book and put it on the desk they were sitting at. After a moment of silence, Ginny spoke again. "Ron…you need to stop reading books like this. It's torturing you." she told him softly. Ron stared at anywhere but Ginny's eyes.

"Why do you care about what's torturing _me?_ Some sick-minded lunatic is probably doing things to Hermione that…" he swallowed back bile as his hands shook.  
"Ron, please. Stop thinking about it. This is going to drive you insane. We'll figure something out. Who knows? Maybe they won't send her to Azkaban." Ginny said with forced hope in her voice. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Not bloody likely." He muttered. Ginny got angry.

"Ron, do you want my help with this or not?" She asked sharply. Ron looked at her with a nasty look on his face.

"Not if you're gunna feed me false hopes and make me believe that Hermione might not be dead." Ron shot back.  
"I won't feed you false hopes! I want to help you get her back! She's not only the person you love, Ron! She's my best friend! Why are you always so insensitive?!" Ginny exclaimed, standing. Ron stood too, trembling with fury.

"_Insensitive? I'm _insensitive?!" Ron yelled in her face. Ginny stood her ground.

"Yes, you are!" she spat back.

"How am I being insensitive?! You're the one who keeps feeding me hope that I shouldn't hear! If she's dead than its gunna be twice as hard to get over her because-,"

"Ron, just SHUT UP! She's not dead!"

"And how can you be so sure?!"

"Because she promised me that she'd stay alive!" Ginny shouted at him. Ron looked her, shrinking back. Ginny took a couple big breaths, crashing into the chair again. "...Hermione promised me that she'd stay alive. She promised me that, no matter what they did to her, she'd stay alive until we could save her," Ginny looked at her brother as he stood there, watching her, his mouth slightly open. "…She's stronger than you think. If she can survive torture once, she can again. But we need to figure out a plan to get her out of there and soon…or she'll have to break her promise." Ginny said to him, her voice quieter. Ron plopped down in the chair opposite her and sighed, putting his face in his hands. Ginny looked at him sadly. "I know this is hard for you, Ron. I can see it in your eyes. Every time I look at you, it's like you're burning. You can't blame yourself for this. It wasn't your fault. None of this is your fault. The one thing that'll be your fault is if you don't try to make a plan to get her out of that place. If you care about her than we should already be planning." Ginny said. Ron looked at her with tired eyes.

"What you don't know, Ginny, is that I've been making a plan already." He got up and grabbed a pile of books that was sitting on the desk. He plopped them down in front of her, the loud thumping sound echoing through the room. He slid his finger down four spines of the stack of books. "These are all the books that talk about Azkaban's security-," he pointed down three more spines. "These ones talk about the structure of Azkaban, the cells and such-," he traced his hand down the rest of the book's spines. "These books are all about people's experiences in Azkaban, plus, in this one-," He yanked a book out of the pile, flipped through the pages for a moment and showed her a page with schematics on it. "There's a map of how the cells are set up. People are so thick. They think that people won't find out how to find a weak spot in Azkaban when they put these books out for everyone to read. The Ministry is so bloody stupid." Ron said in an almost mocking tone.  
"Ron, people wrote books like this to scare people out of trying to break into Azkaban, not encourage them to look for a weak spot and go rescue whoever they bloody well please from that hell-hole." Ginny countered. Ron shrugged.

"No, you see, people wrote these books to scare people out of not going into Azkaban, but, really, I don't care if I'm thrown in Azkaban. I'm bloody ready to do anything to get Hermione back, even if it means taking her place." Ron said with an odd excitement in his voice. Ginny looked at him strangely.

"So, what's your plan?" Ginny asked. Ron grabbed the books and gestured for her to walk with him. She followed him as he walked quickly out of the library and towards the Great Hall, where George, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, Charlie and Harry were having breakfast. Mrs. Weasley looked like she didn't sleep, her head hanging over a cup of hot coffee. Mr. Weasley was sitting down beside her, George was coming back with a plate of food and a copy of today's addition of The Daily Prophet. He sat beside Harry, who was eating some of his scrambled eggs and chatting with Charlie about Romania.  
"I haven't figured anything out in terms of a weak spot yet. I'm trying to figure out what the walls are made out of, the cell bars, etc., I want to figure out if there's any way to get in and out of there safely and undetected. It's extremely well protected. It's built with the same kind of brick that Gringotts was built of and the cells themselves are built of a type of indestructible metal called Titex. Apparently, the Ministry banned Titex from being used in the 1430's. It seems that the Ministry has been hiding quite a bit of information from everyone for a long time." Ron said, going up and piling a bunch of food up on a plate. Ginny followed in suit and grabbed food also and then they went back to sit across from everyone else. Ron put down the books and his plate and grabbed a book, opening it and flipping through the pages. "This book shows that the Titex is actually built up of something called titanium. Now, titanium is the strongest metal out there, but it's very light. It's lighter than steel and it can only be destroyed in one way possible: trichloroethylene." Ron told her, talking relatively quickly. Harry spit out his pumpkin juice, spraying it right in Charlie's face, George gagged on his English Muffin, Mr. Weasley looked at his son with wide eyes and even Mrs. Weasley looked up in surprise. Ron looked around at all of them, looking innocently at each shocked face. "What?" he asked. Harry looked at him.

"You sound like…Hermione." He said, shocked. Ron shook that one off quickly and began speaking again.

"Anyways, this is where the magic comes in. Titex was made when a Russian bloke named Arnold Romanov mixed Titanium with Keelex, which was founded by Nicholas Flammel's great grandfather. Now, Keelex can be destroyed by water, rust, and almost every chemical." Ron explained.

"_Almost _every chemical?" Ginny said curiously. Ron grinned.  
"The only chemical it cannot be destroyed by is trichloroethylene." When Ron saw the light brighten in Ginny's eyes, he nodded. "Exactly. Romanov made an indestructible metal by mixing Titanium and Keelex together."

"So…how is this a good thing, exactly? Why do you look so happy?" Ginny asked. Ron shrugged.

"That was probably the smartest thing I've ever said." He said, sounding proud of myself. Ginny smirked as Harry clapped him on the back.

"Well done, mate." He said as Ron snapped the book shut and took a well-deserved bite of his many sausages. George grinned and looked down at his paper again, unfolding it as he chewed on some bacon. He looked at the front page and saw Hermione's face on the cover. She looked relatively happy, smiling and laughing, sitting at a desk with a quill in her hand and then there was another picture right beside her and George was suddenly staring into the face of Dolores Umbridge. His eyes widened.  
"Hey everyone…you might want to listen to this." He said as he saw the heading right above the two pictures, reading _Dolores__Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary resigning for "personal issues"?_ George's eyes scrolled down to the paragraph below the pictures and began reading aloud as people tuned into him. "_After the lengthily hearing for suspected Muggle-Born Hermione Granger, Umbridge came to the verdict that Granger was indeed a Muggle-Born. Although the source of this information was unable to answer to all questions, it is known that Umbridge decided not to have Granger sent to Azkaban. Umbridge decided to do, instead, send her somewhere else where Granger could "get what she deserved". This morning, Umbridge resigned as Senior Undersecretary and reported that she did so because of "personal issues." Umbridge said, in an interview with the Daily Prophet, that she wanted to focus on the Ministry's main task: ridding the Muggle-Born society from the Wizarding world. She assured the press that once she and the Minister completed the task, she'd accept the position of Senior Undersecretary afterwards. The Minister for Magic, Adolf Xavier only had one thing to say on the matter: Together, Dolores and I will make short work of the Muggle-Born situation. I trust her 100%. Even in the short time that I knew her, I can already see that she's thorough and will assist me very much with this task." _George finished and put down the paper as they sat in quiet for a moment. Ron felt anger build up in his chest. He looked down at his plate and pushed it away, and getting up.

"Well, I guess all this is bloody useless." He muttered picking up the many books he'd gotten from the library. Ginny exchanged a look with Harry and quickly took the Newspaper from George, staring at Hermione's face as she laughed, smiled and kept scribbling on her parchment. Harry looked at the picture curiously.

"That's the picture that was in her tracking file at the Ministry. How'd the Prophet get that?" he thought aloud. Ginny gave him a look as Ron paused to look at it, his arms full of books.  
"It's obvious that Umbridge gave it to them. She's the only one who has those files." Mr. Weasley piped up. Harry looked at Hermione's picture and felt an ache in his heart. He missed her. It hadn't even been a week and he missed her. He missed that little smile that she could do that made him laugh immediately, he missed her cleverness and he even missed her annoying way of somehow always being right. He knew that Ron missed her even more than he did. He needed to talk to Ron alone. He knew how he felt when the three of them were on the run and he was away from Ginny for months. It must be horrible for him. Before Harry could think about how to ask Ron to speak to him alone, he heard the doors to the Great Hall open again. Everyone looked over and saw McGonagall striding into the Great Hall with someone that no one would expect. Harry looked closer to see the face of Draco Malfoy.

~*~  
"

_What do you mean you released half of her trial notes to the Daily Prophet?!" _  
Dolores Umbridge and Rita Skeeter were walking very quickly down the dark hallway of the Department of Mysteries. Rita straightened her green glasses as they walked down the hallway.  
"W-w-well, I just assumed-,"

"No! Ms. Skeeter, you do not assume _anything _when it comes to Hermione Granger and her friends. They're undoubtedly clever. You need to stop the printing _now!"_ Umbridge said, her heals clicking against the linoleum sharply, her face quite red.  
"I-I can't do that. You see, they printed already. The papers were sent out this morning." As they walked, Rita handed her the paper. Umbridge snatched it and began reading the column under her and Hermione's picture. Her eyes whizzed down the paper quickly. "You see? They didn't reveal any of the information that might lead them to the Ministry, Dolores." Rita said quickly, almost having to run to keep up with Umbridge's quick strut. Umbridge finished reading and felt a little bit of relief. She turned and halted suddenly, pointing at Rita with a chubby finger.

"Ms. Skeeter…I hired you because I believed you felt the same way about Miss Granger as I did." Umbridge told her.

"I do! You don't know how much so. She's the reason I was kicked off of the Daily Prophet in the first place! I-I-I was _blackmailed _by her!" Rita said, her voice going up two octaves. Umbridge waited for her to be finished, a does-it-look-like-I-care? look on her face. "I want her to pay as much as you do!"  
"If you do, indeed, Ms. Skeeter, then I expect you to chat with me every time you even _think_ of giving information about that vulgar Mudblood. Now, if anything like this ever happens again, _you_ are going to have to answer to the Dementor's kiss. Am I making myself _perfectly_ clear, Ms. Skeeter?" Umbridge asked her, her eyes promising violence if she did not agree. Rita nodded her head vigorously, her glasses going slightly askew. Umbridge exhaled sharply, smoothed her skirt down and smiled at her sweetly. "Lovely. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go up to my office and get ready for more questioning sessions. I'll see you in an hour." She told Rita before she turned and strode off. As she rounded the corner, someone grabbed her shoulder and yanked her over, smashing her into the wall. She squeaked in surprise and looked at the person. It was Adolf. She immediately put on a smile.

"Oh, hello Minister! I was just-,"

"Umbridge, have I told you how much I trust you in the matter of Miss Granger?" He said quietly, his voice calm, but edgy at the same time.

"Yes, Minister, of course you have-,"

"What have you done so far? To sedate her cleverness?" He asked sharply.

"W-W-Well, I had her try out our new quills. She used them for about half an hour yesterday-,"

"_Half an hour?!"_ Adolf growled, still holding her shoulders to the wall. Umbridge looked at him in shock. "Half a bloody hour! No, Umbridge! I want longer! She's not going to learn anything if you don't keep her writing! Have you tried anything else?" He asked her. Umbridge scrambled to collect her thoughts.

"Uh…Oh yes! I haven't fed her since she got here! She's very weak!" Umbridge told him, smiling. His eyes flamed and Umbridge felt her stomach drop.

"UMBRIDGE! What the devil do you think you're doing?! I didn't tell you to starve her to death! I told you to fix her! I told you to convince her that she's not a witch! Give her something to eat! Not much, but I don't want her dying! I want to hear the words from her mouth. I want to hear her say "I am not a witch" and I want her to believe it as well as I. What else have you tried?!" Adolf hollered. Umbridge shrunk away from his ravaged face.

"Nothing else, sir." She said in a quiet voice. Adolf pushed her against the wall roughly, making her body bounce off the hard concrete. He took a couple deep breaths and straightened his robes.

"Use the Cruciatus Curse on her." he ordered. Umbridge's eyes widened in surprise and delight.

"B-but sir! She'll go mad!" she objected weakly.

"Don't make her go mad. Use it a little each day and she'll be fine. I don't want her mad, Umbridge. I want her as sane as I am when she tells me that she isn't a witch. Is that clear?" he asked. Umbridge nodded. Adolf gave her one last look before turning.

"I expect much of you, Umbridge. If you cannot complete this task…I will." he walked away. Umbridge thought about what that meant and then she started walking to her office again, her heart racing. She came to her office door and she unlocked the door with a swish of her wand and looked around the room to make sure everything was still in place. She saw Hermione, sitting in the corner of her cage, sleeping soundly. Umbridge strode over, feeling insanely malicious. She took out her wand and sent a red spark at Hermione, which connected right with her face. Hermione felt a sharp sting of pain and woke with a start, gasping as she felt the skin of her cheek burning. She went to touch it but saw Umbridge standing there, breathing heavily. Umbridge waved her wand to lock and shut her office door and then waved it again to unlock and open Hermione's cell door. She strode in and grabbed Hermione by the arm, her rage over maybe losing her job over someone like Hermione making her stronger. Hermione let out a little squeak of pain as Umbridge towed her out of the cell and pushed her into the wall, shattering one of her cat plates with the back of Hermione's head. Hermione gasped, winded, as Umbridge walked over and pointed her wand to the tender crook of Hermione's neck, breathing hard. Hermione froze, also gasping for breath, shaking.  
"Do you know what you're doing, you worthless piece of filth?! Do you?!" Umbridge asked her. Hermione didn't answer, trembling from head to foot. "You're making me lose my job! You're going to make me lose my job here!" Umbridge shrieked. "Do you know why?" she asked. Hermione shook her head lightly and Umbridge dug the tip of her wand deeper into her neck, making Hermione jump and wince in pain. "Because you're too stubborn to realize that you're just a stupid _Muggle!"_ Umbridge spat at her. Hermione flinched as she stared at her, clenching her teeth, feeling a sudden burst of anger flare in her chest again.  
"That's too bad because I'll never give into you. No matter how many times you make me write with that quill. I'll never admit it." Hermione said in a strong voice. She felt tired even after talking for that long. Umbridge looked at her with fire in her eyes.

"I am not getting fired because of you!" Umbridge slapped her across the face. The room fell silent. Even the cats on the plates stopped their meowing. The only sound that was heard was Hermione's ragged breathing. After a moment, Umbridge raised her wand, her eyes wild. "_Crucio!" _she shrieked, pointing the wand at her. Hermione felt an unexplainable pain fill her body. Her screams filled the utterly quiet room. She slid down the wall, curling into a ball, just in explicit agony. Umbridge listened to her screaming and felt a sense of utter relief flood her body. She sighed as Hermione screeched at the top of her lungs, closing her eyes, just feeling all the power she was experiencing. Umbridge could now understand why Voldemort had loved doing this to people. It gave her a rush that almost felt like being high. Her head drifted lightly, her thoughts disappearing as she listened to her screams of agony. She felt the thrill quickly leave her body and was soon replaced by anger once again. She pulled her wand away as Hermione's fragile body slumped on the floor, just shaking terribly, tears pouring down her face. Umbridge grabbed her by the hair and yanked her into a sitting position, staring at her pale face.

"Let me ask you a simple question, Miss Granger." She panted, trying to catch her breath. Hermione kept her eyes closed, her hands going up to hold her hair so it wouldn't hurt as much. Umbridge shook her and she yelped in pain. "Do you feel like a witch? Sitting here, shaking like a dog in the most pitiful manner imaginable? Do you feel powerful right now?" Umbridge asked her. Hermione quickly shook her head, sobs coming up her throat. "Then why do you keep fighting?! You aren't a witch! You're nothing! You are a worthless Muggle and you deserve to be in the place you are right now. You and all your Mudblood friends should be _bowing_ to people like me! You should be _crawling _on all fours!" Umbridge snarled at her. Hermione opened her eyes to look at her, her eyes slightly watery.  
"…I will never bow to a-anyone like y-you…" she whispered, her voice all but gone. Umbridge growled and went to torture her again but she remembered the Minister's words. She glared at Hermione and shoved her against the wall hard, then she stood her up and pushed her into the cage. Hermione stumbled and fell, smashing her face into the back bars. Umbridge locked the doors and peered through at her.  
"We'll see, Miss Granger. We'll see who's bowing to whom in the end." Umbridge said before turning and leaving, slamming the door behind her. Hermione held her head with one hand as she turned to sit down. Her head was pounding. It was like she had an extreme migraine. She felt the same way after Bellatrix tortured her in Malfoy manner, but that time was worse. She felt weak: all of her limbs were incredibly wobbly and she could hardly sit up. She stared at the pictures of both her mother and father and the Weasley family. The thoughts that dwindled in her mind dissolved just as quickly as they came, but as she drifted, another flashback flared into her mind, which took it over without any warning whatsoever.

_"HAHA! YOU CAN'T CATCH US, GRANGER!" A boy named Evan Baker was running with one of Hermione's journals and a 13 year old Hermione ran after them furiously. She was back from Hogwarts for the summer holidays and she was in a park that was just by her house, writing in her journal when Evan, a boy from the old Muggle school that she went to, and four other boys grabbed her journal and ran off with it. They ran all the way through the forest, laughing as they went, the journal clutched in Evan's hand. Hermione, who was never one for running, but was ready to kick their butts, was close on their tails. Suddenly, Evan stopped running and the boys did too. Hermione didn't see them stop in time and she slammed into the boys. The boys grabbed her as Evan hopped on a fallen tree and opened her journal with an evil glint in his eyes. Hermione watched as this boy, who was taller than her, with blonde spikey hair and bright blue eyes flipped through her journal pages. She struggled as the boys held onto her arms, laughing.  
"Dear journal-!" Evan started, his voice going higher to mock Hermione. "I'm so excited! I only have a month and two days left until I go back to Hogwarts! I'm so excited to see all of my friends there!' Ha! What friends, Granger?" the boys laughed at her as she continued to fight to get out of their grips. Evan kept reading. "I can't wait to see Harry and I'm actually excited to see Ron too, which is exceedingly surprising. I miss them both. I hope Harry hasn't gotten into trouble over this summer. As for Ron, well, I'm sure he's gotten into trouble.' Oh, what kind of trouble? I want to meet these friends of yours! Are you sure they're real, or are they part of your imagination?" Evan asked Hermione.  
"Get off me! Get off!" Hermione shrieked. The boys just held onto her. Evan jumped down from the stump and grinned at Hermione.  
"I think one of these friends is your boyfriend, Granger. What do you think?" he asked her. Hermione glared at him.  
"I think you're highly illogical." She spat at him. Evan laughed.  
"English, Granger, speak English. I don't speak nerd." He laughed. Hermione finally got free of the boys and clenched her fists.  
"Give me back my book or unspeakable events with occur." Hermione promised through her teeth. Evan and his friends bellowed with laughter.  
"What are you going to do to me, Granger?" Evan asked in a whiney voice. Hermione clenched her jaw. She brought her hand up and swung her fist forward, it connecting very nicely with his face. Just as the sharp sound of fist hitting flesh rung through the air, his head snapped backwards and he toppled over, his nose bleeding. Hermione stood there, looking down at him. The boy's mouth hung open. Hermione calmly grabbed her journal from Evan's hand, his mouth hanging open the widest. She smiled pleasantly down at him.  
"That." She told him. Evan looked at her with wide eyes, still not able to speak. Hermione smiled and turned to leave but turned back and looked at Evan. "You've got something on your nose. Did you know? Just there-," she pointed just under her nose, which on the face of Evan was covered in blood. She smiled at them all as he wiped his nose on his sleeve and she left with the same bounce in her step as always, as though none of this had happened._


	13. Chapter 13

~Chapter 13: A debt repaid~

The Weasley family and Harry stood there, looking at McGonagall and Malfoy in shock. Harry slipped his hand in his pocket and drew his wand out, holding it tensely, ready for whatever Malfoy might have up his sleeve. Ron stared at Malfoy with bubbling hatred.

"What the bloody-," Harry started, but Ron interrupted.

"What in the name of Merlin's baggy Y-fronts are you doing here, Malfoy?" he snarled, glowering at him. Malfoy's thin pale face twitched slightly as McGonagall spoke up.

"Mr. Malfoy has come with a proposition for you, Mr. Weasley." She told him crisply, sitting down beside Mrs. Weasley. Ron took his glare from McGonagall and back to Malfoy.

"What if I don't want to listen?" Ron asked snidely.

"Then you'll regret it." Malfoy shot back. Ron looked at him, his face promising violence. Harry quickly stepped forward.

"What is it, Malfoy?" he asked with a cold tint in his voice. Malfoy straightened the collar of his black robes and began talking.

"I've come to offer you my help. I heard about what the Ministry's doing to Granger and I want to help you get her out of there." Malfoy said. Harry's mouth dropped open. No one spoke for a moment. Then, Mr. Weasley broke the silence.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" he asked. Malfoy shifted uncomfortably.

"I…Well, there hasn't been a change in heart, really-,"

"Then why the bloody hell are you here?" Ron asked him sharply.

"Because I want to repay a debt. I know how much Granger means to you, although I don't understand why. She never seemed that special to me-,"

"Get to the point Malfoy." Harry snapped.

"-But since you three saved my life, I want to help you save hers. A life for a life." He finished. Ron looked at him with nasty eyes.

"If you're just doing this because you feel guilty then we don't want your help-," Ron started but Mrs. Weasley started to object, as well as most of the family.

"Ronald! We need all the help we can get! This-,"

"Just listen to him, Ron!" Ginny yelled.

"Stop being a prick!" George hollered.

"You're being thick!" Charlie exclaimed

"If you'll let me finish!" Malfoy shouted over them all. They fell silent. Malfoy took a breath, smoothing his perfectly styled blonde hair down. "…This isn't because I feel guilty, okay? When I left on the day during the battle, I promised myself that whether it be saving your lives or paying for your house in full for the rest of your lives, I'd repay the debt that I owed to the three of you someday, and when a Malfoy promises something, they never break that promise." Malfoy explained. Harry looked at him, hesitating.

"Are you sure you aren't going to run off to the Ministry and tattle on us? You've been prone to do that." he asked him, thinking of the time when they went to visit Hagrid that one time late at night and he told Professor McGonagall. Malfoy gave shot him a look.

"Kicked the habit." He said simply. Ron and Harry exchanged looks with one another.

"…I don't know… I don't trust him._" _Said Ron. Ginny looked at his brother, annoyed.

"Ron, if Malfoy wants to help, let him. We need all the help we can get." Ginny told him.

"Yeah, but it's just Malfoy. What can he do?" Ron objected. Malfoy raised a blonde eyebrow.

"As much as that hurts, Weasley, I have to say that I can do quite a bit." Malfoy snapped his fingers and the Great Hall's doors opened once again. Harry and the Weasleys watched as 6 people entered the room: Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan and Cho Chang and one girl that Harry didn't recognize. They all looked so different! Neville had grown his hair long so it completely covered his big ears. He was taller than Harry, which was expected since Harry was short, but he was also taller than Ron, which was surprising. Luna had cut all of her long silvery hair off. It was now ear length and spikey. It looked amazing. Dean had grown another couple inches too, and he had matured a lot more in his face. Seamus had grown out of that awkward teenage body that he'd had for so long and he looked quite handsome. Harry's eyes fell on Cho last. Cho had cut her hair a little, just up to her shoulders and she'd gotten even more stunning than the last time he saw her. Harry lingered over her face the longest, which made Ginny's gut twist in knots of jealousy. Harry grinned at everyone as they all came forward and hugged each of the Weasleys and then Harry, saying hello and asking how everyone has been as Malfoy stood there beside this unknown girl with a slight smirk on his face.  
"Hey guys! What are you all doing here?" Harry asked as he clapped Neville on the shoulder. Neville grinned at them, holding Luna's hand.  
"We came to help find Hermione! You don't think we'd leave one of our own behind, do you?" Neville asked, smiling at them.

"As much as Hermione's small-minded, I've really come to like her and I'd rather her not die before she is good and ready to." Luna told them, smiling in that dreamy way that only she could pull off. Ron grinned and hugged Luna back as she embraced him. Dean went over to Ginny and hugged her tightly in his long arms, smiling.  
"Hey Gin. How've you been?" he asked as he pulled back. Ginny smiled up at him.

"Great, Dean. Yourself?" she inquired.

"Fantastic." Dean grinned and, without warning, he pecked her cheek. Harry saw this and he felt that over-protective monster that had controlled his emotions in sixth year rear up again. Ginny noticed him looking and stepped away from Dean, going to give a hug to Luna.  
"Who's this young lady?" Mrs. Weasley asked, getting up and looking at the girl standing beside Malfoy.  
"This is Adalie. She's a distant relation of mine. She agreed to help us find Granger too." Malfoy said. Adalie came forwards and shook Mrs. Weasley's hand, smiling brightly.  
"Adalie Knowles. You can call me Addie if you'd like." She introduced herself. Harry got a good look at Adalie. She was absolutely gorgeous, but she looked nothing like she was related to Malfoy. She had raven black hair that fell down her back in very tight ringlets, big icy blue eyes outlined with long black lashes, pale skin, full lips and a cute tiny nose. She was wearing what looked like travel robes. Her body seemed absolutely flawless. She was thin, but curvy and she had thin arms and legs and long fingers. She was just shorter than Malfoy and had softer features than he did. She shook each of their hands and came to Ron last. Ron seemed stunned by her beauty. He couldn't speak. He shook her hand as she smiled at him.

"I'm Addie." She said quietly as the others focused on Harry and the rest of the Weasleys. Ron sputtered quietly, no voice coming out. Adalie giggled quietly and went back over to Malfoy.

"So, what do you think? Will you accept my help?" asked Malfoy. Harry looked at Ron, who looked slightly dazed for a moment before he shook it off and they both nodded, grinning brightly as they stared at the people that would help them find Hermione.


	14. Chapter 14

~Chapter 14: Cuts, Cleverness and Consideration~

Days past since the arrival of Neville, Luna, Seamus, Dean, Malfoy and Adalie. As they were hard at work brainstorming ideas, the Ministry of Magic was still hard at work with their task to imprison all Muggle-Borns and, as always, Dolores Umbridge was hard at work trying to secure her unstable job at the Ministry.

Umbridge's office was entirely too quiet, the only sound being Hermione's quill scratching against a new piece of parchment. In the days that past, Umbridge had fed her half a loaf of bread and a little water but it was only enough to keep her alive, as the Minister instructed. She had tortured Hermione each day, thinking that she was finally breaking apart but Hermione was strong and would always refuse to let herself give into Umbridge. She was a witch. A talented witch. She wasn't going to give Umbridge any sort of satisfaction.  
_I am not a witch. I am not a witch. I am not a witch._ Hermione wrote the same phrase over and over again, carving the message further into her skin with every stroke of the quill. She felt light-headed from all the blood she'd lost from the many sessions of line-writing. A cool puddle of blood stained the oak desk and dripped onto the floor. Her skin was pale and had almost no color to it. She knew that she had lost weight in the week that she was here. A lot of weight. She could feel herself getting weaker and weaker but she knew she was going to be fed today so she tried to be as good as possible…that was, until she had a sudden urge to run, to escape...

She heard Umbridge's pen scratching as well so Hermione sneaked a peak up at her. She sat there, writing on a piece of paper, not paying very close attention. Hermione weighed the chance of her overpowering Umbridge. Her wand was right there. It was within arm's length. She thought of the different ways she could take down Umbridge. She could snatch her wand and stun her, she could jump over the desk, take her down and then grab her wand and run, or she could fake fainting and when Umbridge came over, she'd smack her face against the wall, knock her out, steal her wand and make a run for it. Hermione felt her left hand twitch slightly towards her wand, her eyes on Umbridge's face. Her hand inched closer and closer to her wand. She was so close, she could almost reach it…_ZAP! _Hermione was shocked with the quill. She gasped quietly and her left hand snatched back. She began writing again, as quick as she could, more blood oozing from her left hand as she did so. The whole desk seemed to be shaking as she regained herself. She snuck a peek at Umbridge's cat clock. It was 12:50. She had been writing lines for over four hours. She knew Umbridge left at 1:00 to continue with the interrogations of the Muggle-Borns so that meant that she only had ten minutes to go. Hermione focused back on her paper, looking at the bright blood-colored ink on her parchment as she continued to write. Her thoughts drifted away as she wrote. She thought about Ron, recalling every feature of his face, his smile. She listened to the sound of his throaty chuckle in her head and his soft, yet dorky voice. She remembered little conversations they had over the years as she drifted off into memories…

_"Hermione, hurry up! We're going to be late!" Mr. Granger called from downstairs, checking his watch. Hermione was upstairs in her room, straightening her shirt. She looked at her eleven year old self in the mirror and smiled. She was about to leave to board the Hogwart's express. She looked at herself in the body length mirror. She was wearing her plain black and grey robes that she had gotten in Diagon Alley two days previously. Her parents had a bit of trouble getting into Diagon Alley, but Hermione, being clever, figured it out in the end. She had everything that she needed for Hogwarts. She'd already read the entire selection of books that she'd bought and practically memorized them. She tried her hardest to find a hair sleeking spell, but it wasn't in her First year spell books. She was determined to find something to make her hair lay down a little bit. She looked at her bushy brown hair critically, trying to smooth it down. She sighed and tried a big smile. Her brown eyes took in the size of her front teeth and she immediately closed her mouth. She tried to cover her teeth with her lips and smiled but it didn't work. She exhaled sharply and tried a one-sided smile. She looked at it and decided that it would have to do for now, but if she had to scavenge the entire Hogwart's library, she would find a spell to shrink her large teeth.  
"Hermione!" her father called. She jumped and looked at her watch. 1o:45. She started to panic. She grabbed her trunk and ran downstairs. The Grangers got in the car and drove to King's Cross Station. They got out and went inside, looking for Platform 9 ¾. They found Platforms 9 and 10 and looked around.  
"What's this rubbish?" Mr. Granger asked, frazzled as he looked at his daughter's ticket. Hermione went over to the Platform and looked curiously at the wall. She went to lay her hand on it and she fell right through, landing on the other side. Her parents both screamed but Hermione quickly got up and grabbed them, yanking them both onto the Platform. Her parents looked around, their eyes wide.  
"That's bloody insane…" Mr. Granger whispered. Mrs. Granger slapped his arm lightly.  
"Watch your mouth, dear!"  
"Mum, I've got to board the train. It leaves at exactly 11:00." She said, holding her trunk in her hands. Mrs. Granger nodded and helped her daughter put her trunk in the part of the train where they put the luggage. Hermione noticed where everyone was boarding. People were already getting to their seats and waving out the window. Hermione looked at her parents, who were smiling down at her. She gave them a nervous smile.  
"You'll write to us, won't you? We want to know everything." Mr. Granger said. Hermione nodded. "And you'll make sure you make good friends and not the ones who just take advantage of you?" Hermione nodded again. "And you'll make sure to tell us if anyone's bullying you, right?" Hermione nodded for a third time. Her father went to talk again, but Hermione's mum intervened.  
"Just write us when you can, Mione." She let her husband hug Hermione before she straightened her shirt slightly. "Bag?" Hermione nodded, patting the satchel. "Jacket?" Hermione showed her the jacket she was carrying on her left arm. Mrs. Granger smiled lightly and hugged her daughter. "Have fun, lovely. And remember-," she pulled back to look into her eyes. "You're a clever girl. Don't let anyone tell you different." She told her. Hermione nodded seriously and hugged her mum one last time.  
"I love you mum." She said quietly, her stomach twisting in nervous knots. Her mum hugged her, trying to embed this moment into her memory.  
"I love you more." She said softly, then pulled back and kissed her cheek. "Now go on. You're going to miss your train." Hermione pecked her dad on the cheek once before she smiled and ran off, into the train. She pushed past kids as the train whistled, signaling it was about to leave the station. A few seconds later, the train started to move, at first slowly, than picking up speed. Hermione got to a window and yanked it open, waving goodbye to her parents, who were waving from the platform, her mother in her father's arms. She blew kisses and yelled "I love you!" as they pulled away and rounded the corner. Hermione waved until she couldn't see any of the parents anymore and shut the window, feeling suddenly nervous. She turned and looked at the practically empty corridor and sighed. She walked down the hallway and found an empty compartment. She slid the door over and went inside, shutting the door behind her. Hermione unstrapped her satchel and sat down, pulling out some books, including her copy of "Hogwarts: A history" by Bathilda Bagshot, a copy of "Potions for starters" and, of course her "Standard book of spells" book. She opened it to the seventh chapter, the one that she had left off on. She was just about to begin reading when she heard her compartment door open. Four pretty girls, giggling loudly and chatting about mindless things went to go inside her compartment and stopped. They all saw Hermione and immediately backtracked. Hermione gave them a smile.  
"Hi!" She said as she smiled , hoping to make a couple friends. The girls all glanced at one another. They smiled awkwardly. "Do you want to sit down?" Hermione quickly went to get up, her hands reaching for the many books scattered around her. As if connected to the end of a magnet, the girls took a large step back, out of the compartment, looking uncomfortable as Hermione cleared her space away.  
"No, that won't be necessary." Said one of the girls. Hermione was working quickly, her arms full of books.  
"It really isn't a problem!" she said quickly. The girls exchanged a look with the girl who just spoke and she stepped up again._

_ "Don't worry about it. We won't all fit anyways." She said, her voice rushed.  
"Rubbish! There's more than enough room for everyone." Hermione objected. The girls were slowly inching away.  
"We'll just find another compartment. Uh, see you later." The girl stepped out as well and the door slid shut. Once it did, the girls giggled and glanced at Hermione. As they left, Hermione could hear what they were saying.  
"Did you see her hair?! It looked like some rabid bird made a nest in there!"  
"I know! And her teeth! She looked like a beaver!" the girls all giggled as they left. Hermione felt hurt for a moment, watching them go, her arms still holding all her books. She looked down at the books and sighed, sitting down and putting them beside her.  
"'Ohh, we won't all fit!' Yeah right. This compartment can hold ten people." She muttered as she reopened her book. She exhaled and settled into the train seat, just about to read again, but she heard the compartment door slide open once again. Hermione looked up again and saw a boy entering the compartment, holding the hand of a girl, both of them laughing. They saw her and froze, just like the girls did._

_Before Hermione could say anything, they laughed.  
"Oops… sorry." The guy said quickly as the girl giggled. They quickly left, leaving Hermione frazzled and annoyed.  
"People are so highly illogical." She said grumpily, looking back at her book and for the third time today, the door on her compartment opened. She exhaled impatiently and looked up to see a boy with big ears and big front teeth standing there, looking as alone as she was. The boy looked at her cautiously.  
"…Hi…I'm Neville… Neville Longbottom. I-I've lost my toad." He said quietly, trying to be as polite as possible. "…I was wondering whether you'd seen him." Hermione looked at this lost boy and stood up. If one good thing would come of today, it would be that she helped one boy find his toad.  
"I'll help you find it. I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger." She held out her hand. Neville took it and shook it, looking kind of shocked at her kindness.  
"Nice to meet you." he mumbled. Hermione gave him a smile and they set off down the corridor, looking around for his toad.  
"Where did you last see it?" Hermione asked.  
"In the corridor. I lost it. I went to go see if my Gran had seen it before we left but she didn't." Neville said in a voice that could match a toddler whining over spilt milk. Hermione sighed.  
"Well, I'm sure we'll find him. Anyways, are you ready for Hogwarts? I've read all about it, of course. Bathilda Bagshot is one of my favourite authors of all time! She's an amazing woman!" Hermione said excitedly. Neville looked at her with questions in his eyes.  
"…Uh…Bathilda…who?" he asked. Hermione gave him a look.  
"Bathilda Bagshot? The author of "Hogwarts: A history"? Have you even opened your set books?" Hermione inquired as they walked. Neville opened his mouth, but she wasn't listening. "Obviously not. You would have known who she was if you had. Do you think you're going to be in Gryffindor? I hope I'm in Gryffindor. I mean, it's obviously the best house out of the lot of them. Even Dumbledore said so-,"  
"Erm, Hermione-?"  
"But, of course you can't only take one person's opinion into account-,"  
"Hermione-?"  
"Although he is brilliant. He's done so much for the Wizarding world. Someone would be stupid not to take his thoughts into account-,"  
"…I'm gunna go check in here." Neville muttered as Hermione kept chatting and walking, not noticing him. Neville looked in Harry and Ron's compartment and asked them whether they've seen a toad. When they answered 'no', Neville rejoined Hermione, who was still talking away, never noticing his absence.  
"-and the castle is magnificent! It was built so long ago, yet it's still standing! I wonder what it's built from… oh well, when I get to Hogwarts, that's the first thing I'll look up." Hermione babbled.  
"I looked in a compartment. They said that it wasn't there." Neville said loud enough for her to hear. Hermione stopped her talking and looked around at the compartments.  
"Oh! Well, let's look in this one!" she said quickly, going over to Harry and Ron's compartment again. Neville tried to object, but Hermione went right in. Hermione saw, amongst all the candy bar wrappers and clutter on the seats, a boy with black hair and round classes, who was quite peaky and thin, and a boy with red hair and freckles that looked well fed. Hermione looked at them as they looked up at her.  
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." Hermione said.  
"We've already told him we haven't seen it." Ron managed to say, but Hermione was too busy looking at the wand in his hand to hear what he said.  
"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it then." Hermione said in a bossy voice, sitting down across from them. The boy looked at her with big shocked eyes, like no one had ever asked him to do magic before. He shook it off and cleared his throat, pointing his wand at his pet rat, which was snoozing beside him. Hermione watched intently.  
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow." The ginger boy waved his wand and nothing happened to the rat. Hermione raised an eyebrow and looked at the boy.  
"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practise and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family is magical at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard- I've learnt all of our set books off by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough- I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?" Hermione said quickly. The two boys exchanged looks with one another.  
"I'm Ron Weasley." The first boy said quietly.  
"Harry Potter." The other boy said. Hermione's brain clicked.  
"Are you really? I know all about you, of course- I got-,"  
"Miss Granger?" said the boy, Ron. Hermione paused, looking at him.  
"What?"  
"Miss Granger?" Ron asked again. Something was wrong. This wasn't how the memory went. Ron had never called her Miss Granger in his life. Hermione felt herself fading away slowly, Ron's voice slowly transforming into that of Dolores Umbridge. Hermione tried to cling to the day dream, just wanting to look at Ron's face a little while longer, but it was no use. She was being pulled out of her dream._

"Miss Granger?"

She felt herself come back to the present as she opened her eyes and saw Umbridge's toad-like face in front of her. For a moment before she began to feel again, Hermione could almost hear Ron's reassuring voice in her head. _Don't give up_, it said. _You're stronger than her. Don't give in. _But, it soon came to an end and suddenly, she could feel the pain again. Her hand, her head, her entire body. She felt shock after shock of pain from the quill. Hermione felt one single tear roll down her cheek as she looked at Umbridge, clueing into what she was saying.  
"-Done for the day, Miss Granger." Hermione felt the quill being yanked from her hand. She looked at Umbridge as her paper, quill and the blood from her left hand disappeared. Umbridge swiftly got up and conjured a plate of bread and water. Hermione stared at it, her mouth watering. She reached for the bread but she felt Umbridge's wand slap it back. Hermione looked at her, wondering what she was doing.  
"Before you eat, Miss Granger, I would like you to tell me what you are." Umbridge told her. Hermione stared at her curiously.  
"What?" she asked, confused.  
"I would like you to tell me what you are." Umbridge repeated, standing over her. Hermione looked at the bread and water and noticed her left hand. Over the last week, as she had carved the words "I am not a witch" into her flesh, her left hand has become less and less useable. She stared at her left hand, at the words and fit it together. She wasn't going to be fed if she didn't say what Umbridge wanted to hear. Hermione remembered her promise to Ginny. She had promised to stay alive and Hermione knew that if she didn't eat this bread and drink this water, she'd be dying sooner than she'd notice. She took a deep breath.  
"I am not a witch." Hermione said in a soft voice. Umbridge leaned forwards.  
"What was that, my dear?" she asked quietly. Hermione flexed her jaw, but said it again.  
"I am not a witch." Hermione said. Umbridge smiled in triumph.  
"What _are_ you, Miss Granger?" she asked. Hermione stared at the bread and water.  
"I'm a Muggle." She said. Umbridge looked like she was on top of the world. Umbridge looked at her and grinned.  
"Indeed. Say it again." She said excitedly.  
"…I'm a Muggle." Hermione repeated. Umbridge squeaked with joy as Hermione's gaze fixated on the bread and water.  
"You remember that-," she picked up the plate. "And there just might be more treats like this." Umbridge told her. Hermione stood up, her eyes only on the plate in Umbridge's chubby hands. She saw her wand and thought about snatching it again. She couldn't help it. It was a force of habit. She just wanted out of here.

Umbridge unlocked her cell door and Hermione walked in obediently, looking at the plate the entire time. Umbridge slid the cell door closed and it locked automatically. She bent down and undid a little hatchet at the bottom of the cage. She slid the plate through and the hatchet shut again. Hermione immediately lunged for the food, unable to control herself any longer. She grabbed the bread and started tearing huge pieces of it off in her mouth, chewing, her cheeks bulging. She sipped the glass of water thirstily as Umbridge watched her, standing up, smiling.  
"That's it…eat up." She purred. Hermione realized what she was doing and stopped eating. She looked at her reflection in the steel plate the food was on. She saw a face, ravaged and pale, in the reflection. Her eyes were wild, crazed, out of control, and she looked like she had lost tons of weight. She stared at herself, her entire body going cold. She looked like…an. An animal, begging for food, being locked up in a cage. "You see? Not so much of a lady now, are you?" Umbridge said quietly as she stared at her reflection. Umbridge turned around and left, shutting her door behind her. Hermione's eyes stayed fixed on the plate, watching her reflection, taking in her face. Hermione didn't recognize herself. She didn't recognize any part of herself. Hermione sat back and stared ahead of her for a moment before she looked down at her hands, which were shaking, still holding the bread. She dropped it and looked at her trembling hands. She turned her left hand over. _I am not a witch._ As she read the message that she had carved into her own skin, Hermione began to think…what if? What if she wasn't a witch after all? What if she was just a Muggle who was privileged enough to get into Hogwarts? What if…what if she really wasn't magical at all? All of this, the Weasley family risking their lives for her, her parents dying…what if that was all for nothing…maybe people like her deserved to be caged like this. Ravaged, hungry, tortured and bleeding. Maybe she deserved this. If she did deserve it, she hoped the Weasley family would stay out of it so she could get what she deserved and no less than that.


	15. Chapter 15

~Chapter 15: Death, dreams and unheard screams~

"No! He can't be dead!"

Mr. Weasley stared at the

_Daily Prophet_ in profound horror, looking at the headline as it flashed onto the page again, reading "_Former Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt dead". _Harry grabbed the newspaper as Mr. Weasley sunk into his chair in the Gryffindor common room, holding his face in his hands. Harry began to read aloud to both the Weasley family and the visitors that had come over a week ago to help find Hermione.  
"_Kingsley Shacklebolt, former Minister for Magic was killed today in Azkaban prison when he attempted to free several Muggle-Borns that had been imprisoned there. Adolf Xavier tells the Daily Prophet that the death of Shacklebolt is regrettable but it was a necessary bout of collateral damage. Shacklebolt was said to have family in India but, as of late, the family all but disappeared off of the Ministry's maps and have yet to be found." _Harry looked up at all of them, seeing their grim faces. Mr. Weasley seemed to be the most distraught a the news, and others just looked shocked. Like Mad-Eye's death, Harry couldn't comprehend someone like Kingsley dying. He seemed stronger than any of them.

"…How…could they kill Kingsley?" Ginny thought aloud. They sat in silence for a moment.

"His poor family." Mrs. Weasley said quietly.

"Yeah, his poor family." Said Malfoy from the corner, leaning on the doorframe, his arms crossed, a blank look on his pale face. Everyone turned and looked at Malfoy in shock. He waved his hand to signal he'd explain his kindness. "My father has been in contact with the Minister for Magic for quite a while, even after he quit to serve…to serve…" Malfoy couldn't seem to spit it out.

"Voldemort?" Harry said. Malfoy flinched and nodded.

"Yes. He had been talking to the Minister about the Muggle-Born situation. The Minister told him that he intended on wiping all Muggle-Borns out and he wanted to make sure they didn't bread with other Muggle-Borns. So, he had a plan set up. He was going to take all the Muggle-Borns in question and then…murder their families. Obviously this means that the disappearance of this Shacklebolt's family means that they were killed." He explained. Everyone stared at Malfoy in shock and disgust.

"…Wait…did your dad give Muggle-Borns over to the Minister, Malfoy?" Harry asked. Ron suddenly became extremely angry again, thinking of the many possibilities that could arise from Malfoy's answer.

"Yes, he was. He probably still is. The Malfoy family believes in the Purity of blood at its fullest and they think that all Muggle-Borns should be slaughtered." Malfoy said.

"Then why the bloody hell are you here?" George asked. "If you agree with your father-,"

"I don't technically agree 100% with my father." Malfoy responded snidely. "I still think that people like Granger should keep their so-called "magical abilities" to a bare minimum-," Ron strode over to Malfoy, but Harry quickly grabbed his arm.

"She has twice the amount of magical ability than you do!" Ron said loudly.

"Look guys! All this fighting isn't going to help us find Hermione! Why don't we just calm down and listen to Malfoy!" Neville yelled, holding Luna's hand. Dean, Cho and Seamus stared at Neville and then at Malfoy. Adalie was sitting in the corner, looking bored.

"Thank you, Longbottom. I'm glad I can count on you to quiet a room for me." Malfoy said in a nasty voice. An uproar started in the room, each Weasley family member and visitor on their feet, yelling at Malfoy. Finally, Adalie stood up.

"SHUT IT!" She hollered. The room fell quiet. She sighed. "You guys are never going to find this Mudblood if you don't stop arguing! Geez guys. Now, here's what we're going to do: we're going to listen to Malfoy and Malfoy-," she glared at her cousin. "You're going to be nice to these people so that you can repay this debt and go home." Malfoy looked slightly scared but he continued to talk again.

"As I was saying, I'm not exactly sure where they would put Granger if they didn't send her to Azkaban. I mean, it's obviously the safest place to put her, but I think that, knowing Granger, she probably upset the Minister in some way and he wants to punish her more thoroughly." Malfoy said. Ron flinched and Adalie saw. In the past few days, Adalie had taken quite a liking to Ron, actually. She wondered how much Ron actually cared about Hermione. She also wondered what she looked like, whether she was pretty or ugly, or whether she would last with him or not. There was just something about Ron that made Adalie swoon. Maybe it was the agonizing look in his eyes or the fact that he could hardly speak to her. She didn't know, but she knew that if this Mudblood was as amazing as everyone said, Adalie would have some competition.

"But what could be worse than Azkaban?" Harry thought aloud.

"Nothing is worse than Azkaban." Malfoy said quietly, obviously knowing because of his father's imprisonment in the past. Out of nowhere, George chuckled to himself. Ginny looked over.

"What?" she asked him. George chuckled again.

"I'm just thinking about that. I can think of one thing that's worse than Azkaban." Everyone waited for his answer. "Umbridge! I mean, can you imagine? Listening to her talk, looking at her in her pink lacy outfits and little cat plates all day long? '_I will have…order!'"_ George mimicked Umbridge's high annoying voice, which made everyone burst out laughing.

"Seems like torture to me." Harry joked, still laughing hard. Only Malfoy and Adalie were not amused by this comment. After the laughter had calmed down, Malfoy spoke up.

"Knowing the Ministry, they probably have Granger locked up in the most unlikely place. They obviously know you guys aren't going to give up until you find her again so they'll put her in somewhere you won't expect." He said. Everyone thought about that for a moment.

"Well, I'm sure that we'll think of something. I mean, there's only a couple of places she could be." Mr. Weasley said.

"Possibly. The Ministry have got secret places all over the country. If they were thinking smart, they'd have hidden her extremely well." Malfoy said thoughtfully. This comment made everyone the slightest bit more depressed.

"Well…I'm going to see if Minerva can think of any places she might be." Mr. Weasley said, getting up. Mrs. Weasley, George and Charlie followed him. Seamus, Dean, Neville, Luna and Cho left the common room also, going to get lunch. Harry and Ginny looked at each other. Ginny gave Harry a slight smile but he didn't return it. Ginny went over to him and took his hand, pulling him out of the common room. They walked up the stairs until they were walking along the Seventh floor corridor, completely alone.

"What's wrong, Harry? We're making progress on this, don't you think?" Ginny said. Harry sighed.

"I just… I dunno. I hate seeing Ron like this. I haven't seen Ron smile for weeks. He won't talk to me about anything. Normally we chat before we go to sleep, but now…he just turns over and doesn't say a single word to me." Harry said softly as they walked. Ginny looked at him sadly.

"Maybe you remind him of how empty your threesome is without Hermione. I mean, she's as much your friend as his."

"Yeah, but I'm not in love with Hermione. I mean, sure, I love her as a sister, but I've never seen her as anything more than a friend." Harry told Ginny. Ginny grinned.

"I'm glad to hear that." She said and pecked his cheek. Harry's lips twitched lightly.

"I just want my best friend back…both of them. I can't stand the thought of Hermione being dead. I don't know what we'd do without her. Have you noticed how quickly we're going mad without her here?" Harry asked. Ginny smiled.

"Yes, I have. It's like my great grandma Weasley used to say: the only way to calm dysfunction is with dysfunction. We need Hermione to keep us calm. Harry chuckled.

"Are you calling Hermione dysfunctional?" he asked. Ginny giggled softly.

"I guess I am. But you know it's true. I mean, who knows what goes on in that brilliant brain of hers?" Ginny said with a smile in her voice. Harry smirked as they came to the wall that led into the Room of Requirement. They paused for a moment before Harry sighed. Ginny looked over at him and grinned.

"What do you say we create some dysfunction of our own?" Ginny asked. Harry looked at her curiously and Ginny looked at the wall, closing her eyes. Soon, a small door melted into the granite. Harry grabbed the brass doorknob and opened it. Inside was a room with a king-sized bed, uncannily like the one that Ron and Hermione used all those nights ago. Harry's face immediately lit up in a grin as he turned to see Ginny standing behind him. Ginny put her hands on his chest and kissed his lips softly for a moment, then a bit more passionately as she gently started pushing him into the room. When they were past the threshold, Ginny pushed him onto the bed as he grinned brightly and she kicked the door shut behind them, the door disappearing into the wall once more.

Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor common room, Ron was sitting in one of the comfortable armchairs and reading more about the Ministry of Magic. Malfoy had gone downstairs to get food and that left Adalie and Ron alone in the room. Adalie sat down beside Ron, looking at the book he was reading.

"What are you reading?" Adalie asked with a smile. Ron looked at her and felt his tongue get caught in his throat again. He didn't know what it was about beautiful woman. He just couldn't talk to them. He cleared his throat and looked back at the book.

"'_The history of the Ministry of Magic.'_" He said quietly, staring pointedly at the small print of the book. Adalie smiled.

"Awesome. Is it interesting?" Adalie asked him.

"No. It's bloody boring." Ron said flatly, rubbing his eyes. Adalie saw an opportunity.

"Then why are you reading it? It doesn't look like a good read." Adalie said. Ron sighed.

"Because I want to find Hermione. There has to be something in these books that has a little bit of information or something that can help me find her!" Ron said, looking at the stack of books piled beside him. Adalie looked at him, trying to get him to look at him also.

"What's she like? Hermione?" she inquired quickly before he could change the subject. Ron looked at her in shock.

"Huh? Oh. She's…she's brilliant. She's the smartest person I've ever met. She's the smartest witch in our year. She's sometime annoying just because she knows practically everything there is to know about the Wizarding world." Ron said with a slight smile on his face.

"Do you guys fight?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, all the time. We've had more rows than anyone on earth." He said. Adalie saw this as a good thing. They got in fights. That meant they didn't always get along.

"So, you guys don't always agree?"

"Agree?" he looked over at her. "We don't agree at all. Hardly ever." He said. Adalie saw this as another good sign and kept pushing for information.

"What does she look like?" she inquired, looking at his face intently. Ron thought about that for a moment before he fished in his jean pockets. He pulled out the picture of Hermione from the _Daily Prophet_ that was released a week ago. He handed her the picture. Adalie stared at her face, as her picture moved, laughing silently, then going back to scribbling with her quill on her parchment, still smiling. Adalie looked at her big teeth and bushy brown hair critically. She wasn't very pretty. She didn't see anything special about her. She was very…plain. It boosted Adalie's self-esteem a lot.

"Ah." Was all Adalie said as she handed the picture back. Ron looked at it for a moment. Adalie noticed the complete love in his eyes when he stared at the picture. She felt a twinge of jealousy as he stared at the photo for much too long.

"Are you guys going out steadily?" she asked. Ron didn't notice the huge clue that she was asking him about his availability.

"She…she broke up with me before she was taken." Ron admitted quietly. Adalie felt a like she'd won the lottery but she watched his face melt into sadness and backed up a little.

"What? You can't seriously still be in love with her, can you? I mean, what did she break up with you for?" Adalie asked pointedly. Ron looked at her, surprised by her sharpness.

"She didn't want me to suffer anymore." Ron said quickly.

"And why would you suffer when you were in a relationship with her?" Adalie asked, her tone getting more sleuth-like.

"Because she's a Muggle-Born and she didn't want me to suffer when she was taken away."

"And did she think that would work?" Adalie inquired.

"I dunno. You tell me." Ron snapped back, his voice harsher. Adalie looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"There's no need to be short with me. I'm trying to understand the situation." She said.

"Well, don't." Ron said flatly. Adalie stared at him with her icy blue eyes and she got up.

"You know what I think? I think the only reason she broke up with you was because she thought she didn't deserve you. And you know what? She's right. You don't deserve her. You deserve someone much better." Adalie looked at his shocked face for a moment before she turned around and strode away, out of the room. Ron watched her leave and then looked back at the books. He couldn't believe she said that. He didn't understand what she meant by he deserved someone better. In his heart, he thought that he didn't deserve Hermione at all. But he was just so confused. Why would Adalie say that to him, and did it really matter? Ron was sure that if he ever did find Hermione, he'd never look at another woman again. She was the only one for him. She always was. Ron decided to lay off the books for a while and have a nap. He went over to the couch and sprawled out, closing his eyes, relaxing as he fell into a sleep full of dreams.

"TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE!" Umbridge screamed, pointing her wand at Hermione's heart as she cowered in the corner of her office, sobbing and trembling. Hermione didn't dare look at her.

"I'm a M-Muggle!" Hermione said loudly, just wishing the pain to stop.

"You don't sound convinced to me! _Crucio!"_

Hermione's screams echoed off the walls of her office, but the sound never escaped that room. It was sound-proof so no matter how loudly Hermione screamed, she would never be heard.

Umbridge had been torturing Hermione for about half an hour now. Somehow, she was fighting back again. She had gained strength back in the hours that she wasn't tortured. Umbridge was right when she said that Hermione was strong. She knew that this would be difficult, very difficult, to break her. But she had to. She had to so this so she could keep her job and make the Minister happy. Umbridge loved every moment of her screaming, every tear, every sob from her throat. She was getting back at her for everything she did to her and, as much as she was supposed to be enjoying it, she felt very rushed and that rushed feeling made Umbridge stronger and more furious with every wave of her wand. Hermione was sure that she was going to die here. She knew that she'd be forced to break her promise to Ginny and she didn't want to die without a fight. But the torture that Hermione had endured over the past week was making her weaker and weaker by the minute and Umbridge could feel that. Hermione tried to stay strong, but there was little that she could do anymore.

When Umbridge had finished torturing her, she just shoved Hermione back in the cage without a word. Hermione clung to the cold bars as she started to walk away.

"B-But, I thought I was getting food! I-I thought-!" Hermione said, her voice desperate. Umbridge kept walking.

"You thought wrong. You can do without food for a couple days, I'm sure." Umbridge went out and locked her door. Hermione stared at the closed door for another minute or two before she realized she wasn't coming back. She weakly turned and crawled over to her single blanket and pillow. She removed the pillowcase and found what she was looking for. At night, she had clawed her way through the underside of the pillow, making a hole big enough for only her hand to squeeze through. She had taken some of the stuffing out and put in a plastic cup that she had originally used as a drinking glass inside the hole. Hermione reached her hand in and her fingers came across something hard: the plastic cup. She searched around for a couple seconds before finding what she was looking for. She pulled out her hand, which was grasping a small piece of old, crusty bread that she'd saved for such emergencies like this. The size of the bread was about as big as a small egg. Staring at the tiny portion of bread, she tore it in half and put one half back in her pillow. She put the pillowcase back on and set it back on her blankets before she made herself as comfortable as she could on the hard, cold floor and looked at her bread in her hands, which hadn't stopped trembling for two days. Her mouth watered as she stared at it for another moment. To think, this little piece of bread could come between her living and dying. How did it come to be this way? She split the bread in four, making even smaller pieces, almost the size of crumbs. She put one tiny piece of the bread in her mouth and chewed it slowly, trying to savour it and soon, it was gone. She popped the other one in her mouth, trying to ignore how hungry this was making her. She ate the third piece and then the last and when she was finished, she felt as empty as she did before. She looked up at Umbridge's desk and saw her piping hot teapot sitting there on a pink doily. It seemed to be taunting her. She swallowed thirstily and grasped the cell bars, peering through. She looked at the bars and squeezed them with her weak hands. She felt that urge again. That urge to escape. Hermione looked at the bars and started to pull on them, hoping, praying that they would somehow bend or give way, but no matter how hard she pulled and pushed, the bars stayed exactly where they were, as solid as they had been before. Hermione stood up shakily and looked at the bars again. She backed up to the end of her cell, which was meters from the front and gathered all her strength. She took a deep breath and ran at the bars.

WHAM!

Her shoulder connected with the bars painfully and she rebounded off of them, falling over on her back. She felt her shoulder sting with pain and felt the air burst out from her lungs as she winded herself. After a moment, she got up and ran at them again.

WHAM!

Nothing happened. The bars stayed as strong as they had before.

After a couple of tries, Hermione laid spend on the floor, trying to catch her breath and ignore the throbbing pain in her shoulder. She looked up at the door, peering through the bars, her eyes desperate. She heard the very subtle sound of light footsteps coming through the door. Hermione knew that Umbridge was in the courtrooms with Adolf and Rita, so whoever it was couldn't be that bad. Maybe they'd help her?

"LET ME OUT!" She screamed, getting to her feet and banging on the bars. No answer. "PLEASE HELP ME! PLEASE!" She cried. Still no answer. Hermione listened as the footsteps started to fade away. "NO! PLEASE! COME BACK! PLEASE! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!" The footsteps faded off until there was no sound left, other than the cat plates on the wall, meowing like there was nothing wrong whatsoever. Hermione banged on the bars with her fists, tears forming in her eyes again. "PLEASE COME BACK! PLEASE!...Please!...please…" Hermione's voice became weaker and more distant. She felt her body slip into a weakness that made her fear for her life. Her head spun dangerously and she clutched the bars for support but soon, her body just couldn't take anymore. Hermione crumpled onto the hard, cold floor, falling unconscious without a sound, leaving the only remaining sound in the room the cats that purred quietly, watching Hermione move no more with a pleasant look on their faces as though they were enjoying watching Hermione suffer as much as Umbridge was.


	16. Chapter 16

~Chapter 16: By George Weasley, I think he's got it!~

Days past with or without anyone noticing. For both the Weasley family and Hermione, the days blended together, seeing as the Weasleys kept busy with studying, trying to gather as much information about the Ministry as possible, and Hermione hadn't seen the light of day or the darkness of night for over three weeks.

In Hogwarts's Great Hall, everyone was in deep studying sessions. The four tables that once separated the four Hogwart's houses at meals were now full of books, maps, quills, bottles of ink and parchment. The four tables were now used to separate the four subjects of which they were studying: Table #1 had information about the Ministry's structure, which floors were which, and the lists of jobs at the Ministry. Table #2 had maps of the Ministry and books of the whereabouts of some of the Ministry's hiding spots around the world. Table #3 had the books about the Wizengamot, the job as the Minister, the Undersecretary to the Minister, and the justice system, all the rules and Wizarding laws that all magical beings were supposed to abide by. Table #4 had information on Muggle-Born history, Salazar Slytherin's biography, any and all information about Adolf Xavier and his family and any other information that seemed fitting to be in this investigation. There was also a huge board at the very front of the Great Hall, where the teacher's tables once were. It was covered in parchment, maps, pictures, information, clues and leads on where Hermione might be. There were markers, on the ledge just under the board and an eraser. People would check with everyone before putting up any information on the board, asking them whether it was a liable lead or not. Not many people could find a lot of leads but they put up what information that was relatively possible.

Everyone was spread out at the tables, chatting in their groups. Bill and Fleur had come back to Hogwarts a couple days previously with no new news of Percy. The only thing they knew was that Percy was now teaming up with Rita and helping with the interviews of the Muggle-Borns. None of the family was very happy about Percy's betrayal, but they tried to forget it and move on with the research. With Bill and Fleur now helping with research, they were now at 17 people for their team. Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, Professor McGonagall, Charlie, George, Bill, Fleur, Seamus, Dean, Neville, Luna, Cho, Adalie, Draco, Ginny, Ron and Harry.

At Table 1 was Bill, Charlie, Seamus and Professor McGonagall. Table 2 was Neville, Luna, Fleur and Mrs. Weasley. At Table 3 was Ginny, Harry, Cho and Dean and Table 4 was Ron, Malfoy and Adalie. George was at the end of Table 4, sorting through papers. Ron listened to Adalie and Malfoy talk about Muggle-Borns with an almost cold edge in their voices. He tried to clue them out. What they were saying was just quoted from books anyways. He looked over at Table 3 and saw both Ginny and Harry looking quite frustrated and Ron knew why. Harry would look at Cho and get a look in his eyes, like he was reminiscing over memories and Ginny would notice. Her face would go red and her eyes would turn a darker shade of green. Ron saw this as a warning. She was dangerous when she was angry, very much like their mother. But then, Ginny would focus on Dean and talk to him for a moment, which would bring Harry back to the real world and Ron noticed his lips press together and he could tell he was clenching his teeth. This was Harry's facial expression when he was angry. Apparently having former boyfriends and girlfriends in this study session wasn't the best idea. Ron looked over at the other tables, which were in deep conversation.

Table 2 was having trouble staying on track because Luna kept going off on dreamy sidetracks and Mrs. Weasley was getting slightly frustrated but she tried to remain calm. Neville seemed a tiny bit embarrassed whenever Luna would bring up Wrackspurts or how onions causes different kinds of heart diseases in bunny rabbits, but he was the most tolerant of her, which Ron could understand completely. With Hermione, Ron would have to bite his tongue sometimes when she only thought of the logical things, because usually, when he spoke his mind, they'd end up in a row within seconds, but Ron was sure that with Luna, it was different.

Table 1 was getting the most work done as Bill jotted down all the notes that McGonagall was quoting from books and Seamus adding side notes about blowing up different kinds of metals and brick with spells and Charlie adding what he knew about different kinds of Dragon fire, just in case it might help with some destructiveness.

Ron sighed and looked over at George, who was now up at the front board, pinning something up. Ron thought this was curious. People were supposed to ask whether it was a liable piece of information before they put anything on the board. Ron got up and went over to the board with him and saw the thing he was pinning up: the _Daily Prophet _article from 3 weeks previous. It was the article about Hermione's trial and Umbridge's almost resignation as Undersecretary. Ron stared at it as George pinned it up.

"…Why are you putting this up?" he asked George curiously. George shrugged.

"It seemed like a good piece of information. I mean, it's the last thing we know about Hermione's whereabouts. The last place we know she was at was the Ministry." George explained. Ron looked at the Newspaper headline, a growing interest forming in his eyes. He remembered something that Umbridge had said to them the previous year. "I will have order." Order. It seemed fitting when she took the job of Muggle-Born Registration commissioner because that was helping ensure "order" in the Wizarding world. But now, as Ron stared at the Newspaper, he began to realize something that had been right under their noses the entire time. Ron's eyes widened as it all fit together in his brain. He snatched the newspaper from George and turned, holding it up high with his one hand.

"SHE'S WITH UMBRIDGE!" Ron hollered at the top of his voice. The room quieted down, looking around at him curiously. A smile lit Ron's face. "She's with Umbridge! Look! It all fits!" he held it up so that they could read it.

"What all fits?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Everything! Look-," Ron turned the newspaper around and read it aloud. _"After the lengthily hearing for suspected Muggle-Born Hermione Granger, Umbridge came to the verdict that Granger was indeed a Muggle-Born. Although the source of this information was unable to answer to all questions, it is known that Umbridge decided not to have Granger sent to Azkaban. Umbridge decided to do, instead, send her somewhere else where Granger could "get what she deserved" _You see!" Ron looked around and saw that nobody else got what he was getting at. He sighed and turned to George. "Do you remember when you joked about Umbridge being worse than Azkaban?"

"Yeah, but it was a joke, mate-,"

"But you were right! Being with Umbridge _is _worse than Azkaban! We all know that! It says here that Umbridge sent her somewhere else so she could "get what she deserved." Umbridge hated Hermione. Out of all of us, she tricked her not once, but twice. She outsmarted her and, if I were Umbridge, I would take things into my own hands, don't you think?" he asked everyone. Ginny's eyes began to lighten up with understanding and Ron saw it. He nodded and continued reading. _"This morning, Umbridge resigned as Senior Undersecretary and reported that she did so because of "personal issues." Umbridge said, in an interview with the Daily Prophet, that she wanted to focus on the Ministry's main task: ridding the Muggle-Born society from the Wizarding world. She assured the press that once she and the Minister completed the task, she'd accept the position of Senior Undersecretary afterwards." _Don't you see? She resigned so she could deal with Hermione! I bet you _anything_ Umbridge wanted to punish Hermione personally for what she did to her! It says that she'd accept her job back after the task of ridding the Wizarding world of all Muggle-Borns. Do you see?" Ron inquired again, his voice excited. Everyone seemed to be catching on now. "She's with Umbridge. I know it. I can feel it. Right here." He put his hand on his chest, over his heart. He looked at Harry, who was the only one, other than Hermione, who could understand this. Harry remembered the Deluminator and the ball of light that lead Ron back to him and Hermione while they were on the run. He nodded to understand he got it. Ron looked at them all as Ginny started talking.

"Well, we have to think, why would the Minister just keep her there? Why would the Minister let Umbridge do that? I mean, he hates Muggle-Borns, right? If he did, he'd just want them all dead." Ginny said. Malfoy looked down at something curiously.

"This…I found this. I thought it was curious." He picked up another newspaper, this one dated a while ago. Ron looked at it and saw a woman that looked uncannily like Hermione on the front page, standing beside two children and a husband that he recognized as Adolf Xavier. The wife of Adolf Xavier had brown curly hair that hung down to her shoulders, a very plain face, a subtle body type and she smiled like Hermione did: with her mouth closed, possibly due to the fact that she wanted to hide big teeth. Ron gaped at it as people crowded around and looked at it.

"Oh my gosh…he kept Hermione because she looked like his wife…" Ginny said quietly, horrified.

"His dead wife." George added.

"But why? Still, she's a Muggle-Born. If he hates them that much, then why didn't he just kill her?" Harry asked.

"Because he misses her." Malfoy said. They all turned and looked at him. Malfoy continued. "He doesn't want to see his wife die again, even if it really isn't his wife."

"Yes! That makes sense!" Luna exclaimed, her eyes alight. Everyone looked over at her. "I read somewhere that when someone loses someone they love very dearly, they cling to what they look like. I even heard of one man that used a jinx to turn a woman into his deceased mother-,"

"Get to the point, Luna, love." Neville said quietly, touching her arm. Luna nodded and continued.

"Well, I just want to say that what I read is true. When I lost my mum, I kept seeing her everywhere. I saw her at the store, I saw her in my dreams, I saw her when we were visiting families. One time, I was with my aunt and I swore she was my mother. I started crying and saying how much I missed her, but I soon realized it was still my aunt. I think that Adolf feels the same way. He wants to keep a part of his wife with him. He doesn't want that to die. He wants to see her. He couldn't send her to a place where she'd be killed." Luna explained.

"Okay, can we stop talking about Hermione being a murderer's wife, please?" Ron said in a grossed-out voice. Harry looked just as disgusted.

"Okay, okay, sorry."

"So…where do you think she'll keep her?" Ginny asked.

"Umbridge is a very simple woman. She'd put her in her office, probably locking her up in something." Malfoy said. Harry looked at him.

"How do you know that?"

"Her office is where she feels the strongest. She has you all alone in there, no one can hear you, and the outside world doesn't know you exist." Malfoy said quietly.

"Wait, what? What do you mean no one can hear you? If Hermione screamed for help, surely someone would hear her." Neville said.

"Wrong, Longbottom. Umbridge cast a sound-proof charm on her door when she was here at Hogwarts and she's probably kept that trait. She's a smart woman in the sense that she knows how to backup plans. If she had a hostage in her office, she'd make sure that no one could break in, no one could see or hear Granger." Malfoy explained.

"But what if someone accidently walked into her office? Surely she has people go get things for her."

"Mmm, wrong again, Longbottom. Think of it this way: if you had a dead body in your bedroom, would you ask your Gran to go get your jumper?" Malfoy asked. Neville swallowed at the very idea of ordering his Gran around.

"…No. But that's just common sense." Neville said.

"Yes, Longbottom. Which is something you don't have." Malfoy said in a slow voice, like he was talking to an extremely thick person.

"Don't talk to my boyfriend like that," Luna said quickly, her voice edgy. It was a new tone for her and it made everyone backtrack.

"Annywwway! Er, I think we should start planning our way into the Ministry. We're going to have to take a lot of precautions to get in." Charlie said.

"I can help you navigate around." Mr. Weasley piped up. Both Ron and Harry were shocked to see that none of the adults had spoken until this point.

"Of course, some of us will have to stay home to aid Hermione when she gets back home. She's probably in a horrible state, poor dear." Said Mrs. Weasley sadly. Everyone saw her emotions. Hermione was like a second daughter to her. She was, truthfully, part of the family.

"So, wait. Do you think we'll get her back, mum?" Ron asked. Mrs. Weasley looked at her son and smiled.

"Oh, Ronald darling, I don't think: I _know_." Mrs. Weasley said, smiling. Ron smiled back at her, feeling so filled with joy. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to see George standing there.

"Look, mate. Breaking into the Ministry is a serious thing. We'll need some equipment and…I think I know just the place." George said, his hands in his pockets. Ron looked at him curiously.

"Where?" he asked. George grinned and took something out of his pocket. It was his pin from _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, _the one that he wore when he was in business. He pinned it to his shirt and grinned brightly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to announce that _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes _is back in business!"


	17. Chapter 17

~Chapter 17: Storming the Ministry~

_WHAP!_

_ "_Wake up!" Umbridge exclaimed, holding her wand out at Hermione, who had fallen asleep on the desk that she was writing lines at once again. Hermione felt the sharp sting of Umbridge's hand as it struck her cheek and woke with a start. She raised her head with great effort and looked at Umbridge. She was so weak. Her strength was all but gone. Her mind was slowly fading away. She felt herself slipping away.

Umbridge looked at Hermione with fire in her eyes. She was so paranoid. What if Hermione was dying? She couldn't let that happen. At least, not yet.

"Get up! We have to get you presentable. The Minister is coming in an hour." Umbridge said. Hermione looked at her weakly, not able to speak. Hermione shakily got to her feet, watching Umbridge's wand as she did so. Her legs felt wobbly and unstable so she clutched the chair for support, wincing. Her body hurt so much. Every little movement sent pain shooting all over. She could hardly concentrate on anything except the pain. She could barely think at all anymore. She felt dazed from hunger and blood loss.

Umbridge pointed her wand at her fiercely as she stared at her. Hermione wondered whether she'd get tortured again and truthfully, it didn't matter. At the rate her weakness was declining, she would be dead by the end of the day.

Umbridge waved her wand sharply and suddenly Hermione was standing in a new pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Hermione was confused. Why was she dressing her differently now?

"The Minister is going to check on your progress." Umbridge explained. It took Hermione a second to figure out what she meant. Umbridge came forward, still pointing her wand at Hermione's heart. "Now, he is going to be here in an hour. Let's review what we have learned, shall we?" Umbridge said. Hermione stared at her, not speaking, just wishing that she'd not torture her anymore. She just wanted to sleep. Her body was shutting down. "Miss Granger, what have you learned over the weeks that you've been here?" Umbridge asked her as she circled her like a hungry shark. Hermione swayed slightly on the spot as she tried to recall what she'd done this entire stay.

"…I…I learned that I'm not a witch." Hermione said. The more that she said it, the more she was believing it. She hardly believed she was a witch anymore. Umbridge knew that she was winning. She knew that Hermione's confidence was finally breaking and, if she didn't believe what she had been telling her all this time, the Minister would surely break her once and for all.  
"Very good. What are you, Miss Granger?" Umbridge inquired.  
"…A Muggle." Hermione said, her voice all but a whisper.

"Very good! Now-," Umbridge grabbed her arm and towed her over to the cage, shoving her in. Hermione just stumbled and fell over, the force of Umbridge's push too much for her body to handle. "The Minister will be here soon. I expect you will be well behaved. You know, after all, what is expected of you. And I trust you will tell the Minister exactly what you told me." Umbridge gave Hermione one last smile as the cell door banged shut and locked once more and Umbridge left.  
Hermione laid on her cell floor, like she had so many other times before. She stared up at the grey ceiling and let her mind drift. She wanted so much to see Ron. She missed him more than she missed anyone. As she closed her eyes, she remembered their perfect night all those days ago. It was so utterly amazing for her. Hermione knew that. But, what scared her most was, she couldn't remember any of the events that went on. She couldn't remember what it felt like…she knew it was good, of course. But she couldn't remember how he touched her, what his kisses were like… all she could remember was Umbridge's rough hands as she shoved her to and fro, the sting of torture and the agony of her quill. She couldn't  
recall the smell of fresh air, nor the sight of sunshine. She had been in this room for over three weeks. She couldn't remember anything at all about the outside world. She wished she did, but it never came back to her absent mind. Her thoughts were short and few now. She couldn't remember the mountains of text she'd memorized and could recall up to the day of her imprisonment. She could only remember pictures. She remembered Ginny's smile, Harry's awkward laughter, Ron's vibrant red hair and adorable peaky face. She remembered Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, her mum, her dad, Evan, the boy from her childhood, Neville, Luna, Dean, Seamus, Cho, Lavender Brown, Draco Malfoy, Lucius, Bellatrix, she remembered the pain, she remembered Dobby, she remembered his death, she remembered Bill and Fleur, she remembered Fred's dead body, Remus's dead body, Tonks's dead body, even Harry's dead body. She remembered the Elder wand but couldn't remember what it's purpose was in all of this. She remembered Dumbledore, but couldn't remember why he was so important. She couldn't remember the books she read or the information about a locket, which she had stolen from Umbridge, and got her hear in the first place. She couldn't remember anything that was important to her. All she remembered was pain and death and torture.

As Hermione heard the clock tick and she felt her weak heart still beating in her chest, she looked over at the picture of the Weasley family that Adolf had given to her upon her arrival here. She watched the picture move as Harry and Ron had their arms slung around each other, and Ginny was laughing at whatever joke George was saying and how Molly was trying to straighten Charlie's hair before the picture was to be taken and Arthur was talking with Bill while Fleur smoothed down her dress. Percy was absent from this picture. Hermione didn't realize how much she loved all of these people. She couldn't imagine her life without them and, now, that life would be no more. She looked back at Ginny in the picture, who was now flashing a dazzling smile and laughing once again, Hermione felt tears start in her eyes. She'd promised Ginny she'd live, no matter what, and by the end of the day, she'd have to break that promise.  
"…I'm so sorry, Ginny. I-I'm so sorry." She sobbed quietly, so tired. She just wanted to give into sleep but her body was in too much pain to shut down, so instead, she laid there and thought about how she was going to spend the next hour by herself in the last hours of her life.

George Weasley snuck into _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes _with his family and the others. Mrs. Weasley, Minerva McGonagall and Fleur were at the Burrow preparing for the arrival of an incredibly sick Hermione while everyone else went on their journey to the Ministry of Magic.  
Since the Muggle-Born registration act was initiated again, the joke shop had been closed. George stepped into the shop and looked around, remembering stocking shelves and trying out the different jokes with Fred. He looked around as the others went into the shop. The others spread out and found what they needed. They picked up the supplies they needed as George climbed the large winding staircase upstairs and went into the supply cupboard. He unlocked it and opened the door. He went inside and saw exactly what he was looking for: his largest selection of fireworks. George grinned brightly and took all the fireworks out, stuffing them in a big backpack. When he went downstairs, he saw everyone had what they needed.

"How about we go over the plan once more before we leave, okay?" Mr. Weasley suggested. Everyone agreed to that.

"We're going in through the employee's entrance, correct?" Bill asked. Ron grimaced, remembering the toilets.

"Yeah. Dad will get in first with Bill and Charlie. He'll explain that he has to clear out his office. He's just supposedly been sacked from the Ministry. Then-," Ron started, then Mr. Weasley took over.

"-George and Seamus will enter from the corner on their broomsticks and they'll fly near the ceiling and-," Ginny took over.

"-Wait for a signal from me. I'll accidently set something on fire and scream for help. That should get the majority of people looking my way-," George took over.

"-Then Seamus and I will swoop down, and light the most spectacular fireworks you'll ever see. Then we'll go to Umbridge's office and set off some more fireworks there. When she goes out to see what's wrong-," Neville continued.

"-Luna and I will run up to Adolf's office and stun him so he can't stop anyone and-,"

"-I'll follow George and Seamus and stun Umbridge before she can turn around to leave." Ginny said.

"Dean, Cho, Malfoy and Adalie will fight off any of the Dementors that might come to see what's going on while Harry and I run upstairs to Umbridge's office and grab Hermione." Ron said. "When we've given the signal to George that we've got Hermione, start towards the fireplace exits and don't let anyone stop you. Just keep running. If you need to make a quick escape, used the decoys that you have in your pockets. Apperate to the Burrow and, if you can't get there, Apperate to the Hogwarts gates or Hagrid's Hut. Is everything clear? Any questions?" Ron asked. Everyone shook their heads and Mr. Weasley nodded.

"Brilliant. Alright, pair up everybody." Mr. Weasley said. Charlie and Bill moved over to join their dad, each son taking their dad's hand. Ginny left Harry's side and went over to stand by herself while Harry and Ron stood side by side, holding hands as well. Dean, Cho, Malfoy and Adalie held hands in a separate spot as George and Seamus held hands, holding broomsticks and carrying backpacks full of fireworks and decoys. "Alright. Bill, Charlie and I will go first. Count to thirty before you Apperate, George and Seamus, Do the same thing Ginny, then Luna and Neville, and so on." Mr. Weasley instructed. "Good luck everyone. Let's bring Hermione home safe and sound. Ready, on the count of three. One…" Mr. Weasley said. "Two…three!" Crack! They were gone. Ron immediately started counting to thirty in his head.

"Three…two…one!" George and Seamus were gone. They started over.

"Three…two…one!" Ginny was gone.

"Three…two…one!" Luna and Neville were gone. Soon, it was just Harry and Ron standing there alone. Harry looked at Ron and smiled.

"Let's get our best friend back, shall we?" Harry said. Ron grinned and they Apperated.

Back in Umbridge's office, Hermione lay on the ground of her cell, staring weakly at the door that she knew would open in seconds. She had very little time left. She could feel her body failing her with every shallow breath that she took. She was ready. She was ready to die.

Adolf Xavier entered the room and shut the door behind him, locking it. He stared at the girl in the cell that looked so much like his wife and a feeling of remorse swept over his entire body. He pushed that feeling aside quickly and went over to the cage. Hermione stared at his black shoes, not wanting to look at him. She heard the cell door slid back and clank against the metal bars. Hermione laid in silence, holding her breath, hoping he'd think she was dead and just leave her alone. Adolf stepped inside and looked her over. She was much thinner and fragile than when he last saw her. Her skin was as white as a sheet, almost an unhealthy grey color. He knelt down and turned her over so she was lying on her back. Hermione couldn't play dead anymore. She was too weak. She opened her eyes and stared up at the Minister, standing over her, looking curiously at her face, as though taking it in. She felt the Minister's long spidery fingers pick up her left hand, bringing it up close to his eyes for examination. He saw the words "I am not a witch" and saw that the wound was still fresh and bleeding. She had been writing earlier today. He gently caressed the outside skin, his finger sliding inches away from her cut. She winced in pain as he did so. Adolf looked back at her.

"Do you believe this, Miss Granger?" He asked her. Hermione swallowed, knowing this was it. She nodded shakily. Adolf gripped her wrist tight, twisting it almost to the point of snapping it. Hermione cried in pain. "Answer me, you filthy Mudblood!" he hollered at her, his face inches from hers. Hermione gasped quietly, trying to catch her breath.

"Yes. Yes, I do." Hermione said, closing her eyes, wishing the pain gone. Adolf shook his head.

"I don't believe you!" he took out his wand. "Tell me that you're a filthy Muggle and that you were never a witch!"

"Please…please-," Hermione begged, but Adolf slapped her across the face.

"NO! SAY IT! SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!" Adolf bellowed. Hermione sobbed quietly, her eyes squeezed shut.

"I'm a Muggle! I-I was never a witch!" Hermione said. Her strength was failing. She knew that she couldn't hold on any longer.

"Say it again! _Crucio!"_ Adolf cried. Complete and utter agony filled Hermione's frail body once again. Hermione screamed in pain, shaking from head to foot, knowing this was it. This was it. If he didn't stop, she'd never live. And Hermione knew, in that moment, as she was being tortured endlessly by this man that she indeed was a Muggle with no special magical talents. Just a worthless Muggle with nothing to live for. Umbridge was right. The Minister was right. Hermione Granger finally broke. She finally gave into the thoughts that she was not a witch after all.

"Evening Arthur. Come to see what's left of our department, have you?" said a Wizard that Mr. Weasley knew as Mr. Weasley entered his wing of offices. Arthur shook his hand.

"Actually, Fisbee, I've come to collect my stuff. I was sacked." Mr. Weasley said quietly, his voice saddening. Fisbee looked outraged.

"Stupid Minister. This world is goin' to ruin, it is. Well, good luck Arthur. Just call me or Georgia if you need anything." Fisbee walked away and Mr. Weasley and Bill and Charlie went into his office. Mr. Weasley opened the window and stared down at the Ministry of Magic. He spotted his son's bright hair as he climbed onto a broomstick with Seamus and took off without anyone noticing. Arthur saw his daughter looking at his window casually, in her traveling robes with a witch's hat on. Mr. Weasley took a breath.

"Here it goes." Mr. Weasley said. He made sure Ginny was looking when he stretched and yawned: her signal. Ginny took her wand out and looked around. There was a pile of Newspapers that someone was selling.

"_Incendio."_ She whispered, pointing her wand at the additions of the _Daily Prophet. _Ginny's face masked itself with fear as she jumped up and down and screamed. "It's on fire! You're newspapers are on fire!" the boy, who had his back turned for two seconds, turned around, as did many of the people nearby. Ginny kept jumping and screaming as people came over. She snuck a look up and saw George and Seamus ready with fireworks in their hands. She gave a subtle wink and George grinned, giving a thumbs up to Seamus, who was by the elevator shafts. They dropped the fireworks.

BAM! A huge explosion went off above the enormous amount of people. Everyone shrieked and ducked, covering their heads fearfully. Ginny grinned up at them, watching the fireworks. George let more go. The colors were fantastic and the shapes were incredible. Whizzing and snapping and twirling sound erupted everywhere and when George had startled the crowd, he began to make his way over to Umbridge's hallway.

Umbridge walked down the hall, towards her office, not knowing what was going on in the main auditorium. She went into her office and opened the door. She saw the Minister crouching over Hermione, who was still screaming as he tortured her. Umbridge grinned as Adolf leaned back and pulled his wand away, letting Hermione take a breather before he dove in once again. He grinned and kissed down her neck, loving the sounds of her crying and pleading for him to stop. Adolf noticed Umbridge after a moment and he leaned back again. He looked at her.

"You did well with her, Umbridge. She's not the same witty Mudblood she once was." He said. Umbridge beamed at him.

"Thank you Minister. Thank you. I tried my very best." She said as she smiled toadishly at him. Adolf looked back down at Hermione as she trembled, trying to stay conscious.

As Umbridge turned around to shut her office door, she heard a weird buzzing sound. She raised an eyebrow and stepped out of her office. She saw a little light at the end of the long room that attached to her office, which was once the factory of the Muggle-Born safety magazines. She walked towards the tiny light and as she did, the buzzing got louder. She looked at it curiously and suddenly, it exploded. She was blown backwards off her feet and she screamed as the little light transformed into a huge toad-like firework with her head on it. Her mouth opened and it screeched "I WILL HAVE ORDER! I WILL HAVE ORDER!" over and over. Umbridge high-pitched screaming made Adolf jump and get up, going out of her office too. George and Seamus flew overhead, whooping with glee.

"Take THAT, Minister!" Seamus dropped another firework down that whizzed towards Adolf. Adolf's eyes widened and he waved his wand quickly so it swirled around him, but like a missile, it came back for him.

Ginny came bounding up the stairs as Luna and Neville appeared at the bottom of them.

"Adolf wasn't in his office! Watch out!" Neville hollered after her. Ginny nodded to them.

"Get downstairs and get to the fireplaces! Quickly!" she turned and continued up the stairs as they ran downstairs. Ron and Harry almost bashed into them as they ran upstairs. Ginny arrived before they could even begin to climb the stairs. She pointed her wand at Umbridge.

"_Stupefy!" _she was knocked unconscious. Ginny saw the Minister ward off the firework that Seamus set on him and stun Seamus in the head. He fell unconscious too and he crashed into the wall. "Seamus!" she screamed. Adolf turned and shot a spell at Ginny, which she nimbly dodged. As he continued to fire, she dove under one of the overturned tables and shot from behind there, ducking to avoid curses.

Harry and Ron arrived and saw Adolf. A hatred rose in Harry's chest. He aimed at Adolf but Ron was too quick.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" he tried, but Adolf shielded himself. He turned to Ron, an interest in his eyes.

"Ah. So this is the infamous Ron Weasley." He said coldly. Ron looked at him, still holding his wand up, ready to attack.

"Not as infamous as you, I hear." He growled. Adolf grinned.

"Have you come for your Mudblood girlfriend, Mr. Weasley?" he asked. Ron just looked at him as they stepped closer to each other. Harry snuck out of the way to grab Ginny as George swooped down and picked Seamus up and then they grabbed Ginny. As they flew off, Harry looked back at Ron and stayed a distance away from him.

"You know I have. Give her to me." Ron snarled. Adolf looked at him with a blank look on his face.

"…If you want her…come and claim her." Adolf raised his wand again. Ron took the challenge and the dueling began. Ron shot stunning spells at Adolf, who blocked and Adolf shot curses at Ron, which missed him by inches. Snapping and huge explosions erupted in the otherwise empty room. Spouts of light whizzed to and fro from either wands as they battled it out.

Hermione heard the bangs and zips but, to her ears, they were warped and they echoed off her skull. Her vision was blurring. This was it. She stared at the open door, seeing Adolf and then seeing Ron there, sending spells at Adolf furiously. She saw Adolf hit Ron's leg as he turned to fire another spell and he went down. Hermione's weak heart sank as her vision blurred.

"Please…" she breathed, trying to refocus. "Please let him not be hurt." She pleaded. Adolf strode over to Ron, his face that of triumph. He raised his wand one last time and Ron's hand raised with his wand in it and he made two motions with it: swish and flick!

"_Wingardium Leviosa!"_ the spell was cast perfectly. Adolf's wand levitated far above his head and then it was gone. Harry had grabbed it and had now snapped it in half. He grinned as Adolf's mouth hung open. He turned back to Ron and lunged for him, but, again, Ron was too quick. "_Stupefy!"_ Adolf was blasted backwards off his feet and he laid unconscious beside Dolores Umbridge. Ron quickly got up and, with Harry by his side, he ran into Umbridge's office.

Hermione saw Ron's face coming towards her as her vision wavered once again. A tiny smile lit her face as he crashed down beside her. Just as he did, Hermione's eyes fluttered shut and she could feel no pain anymore.


	18. Chapter 18

~Chapter 18: One love~

"Ronald, would you sit down? That leg is never going to heal if you don't rest it. Hermione is going to be fine. Just relax." Mrs. Weasley's voice said.

I'm going to be fine? Hermione thought. How was this possible? Maybe…maybe she was in Heaven. Maybe all of them were killed and all of them are in Heaven with her…she wouldn't mind that.

Hermione listened closer as she heard a chair creak as someone sat down on it. The chair was very close to her bed.

"Are you sure?" Hermione heard Ron's voice. Ron's worried, and panicked voice. Hermione, although wondering why he was so upset, (they're in Heaven. No one was supposed to get upset in Heaven), loved the sound of his voice. She missed it. She missed it so much.

"I'm positive. Now, will you please trust your mother for once when I say that Hermione is going to be absolutely fine and that she'll be waking up very soon!" Mrs. Weasley said with a chip voice. Hermione heard Ron sigh.

"Alright. Thanks mum…for everything." Ron's voice said. Hermione heard Mrs. Weasley lean down and peck her son's cheek.

"Don't mention it, sweetheart." there was a long pause. "…She really is part of the family, you know. I couldn't imagine the family without her." Mrs. Weasley told Ron. Ron looked at Hermione's frail body and nodded.

"I know. But we won't have to worry about that ever again." Ron told him mum. Hermione heard nothing for a moment, but she could tell the atmosphere had gotten lighter. She heard footsteps and then a door close somewhere close to where she was laying. Hermione hoped very much that it was Ron who had stayed and Mrs. Weasley who had left for as much as she loved Mrs. Weasley, she didn't have the strength to wake up if Ron wasn't there. Hermione felt a hand: his hand…it took her hand very gently. Hermione's body exploded with happiness. She had forgotten the touch of skin. She had forgotten what his hand felt like, what his skin felt like.

Suddenly, Hermione could feel again. Her body felt numb and still extremely weak, but there was no pain. Her brain drifted in and out as she got her other senses back.

She could smell. She took in the air, the lovely fresh air that was blowing into the room, probably from a window, somewhere close to her bed. The breeze washed over her, making every cell in her body crave more air. She just wanted to breathe it all day. The air tasted like grass. Freshly mown grass…it also tasted like flowers and wood.

Hearing was next. Hermione heard birds chirping nearby. She heard no clocks ticking, no cats meowing, no clicking of heals on granite. Just birds and the soft wind. She also heard breathing. Heavy breathing. She heard Ron's slow, deliberate breaths, as though he was trying to keep calm. Hermione also heard her own breathing, and that's what triggered another sense: touch.

Hermione felt her weak lungs breathe in…breathe out…breathe in…breathe out. She was lying on her back on a very comfortable bed with warm sheets. Her left hand was bound in some kind of soft material. But then, finally, she felt it: her heart, beating very slowly in her chest. It was the strongest thing of all. It thumped in rhythm with her lungs.

When Hermione could, Hermione triggered the last sense she had: sight. Her eyes fluttered open. Her vision was blurry for a couple seconds, but it soon refocused and she was staring at a ceiling. She took in the panels of wood, the nails holding it up. When she was ready, she turned her face to where she heard Ron's breathing and she saw him, perfectly untarnished and well, sitting in a chair, holding her hand and staring at it. Hermione looked at his pale face, his freckles, his gorgeous green eyes and bright orange hair. She took in every angle of his jaw, every plane of his face, every crevice, every imperfection that made him that much more perfect until finally, Ron looked up at her.

As soon as their eyes met, Hermione couldn't look away. She knew that she was home. She was finally home.

Ron looked at her with soft, tender eyes as he continued to hold her hand. He stared at Hermione's thin, pale face, just wanting to kiss her. But he remembered their last conversation before she was captured. She'd broken up with him and he didn't know where they stood. He knew in his heart that he would always love Hermione, even if she decided not to love him back. But what he couldn't see is that Hermione had loved him the entire time. You see, Ron didn't choose Hermione and Hermione didn't choose Ron. Love chose them, and nothing they or anyone else did could ever change that.

Hermione gripped onto Ron's hand, her eyes still roaming his face. She wasn't sure what to say.

"…Hermione…" Ron said. His voice was so utterly heartbreakingly tender and loving, Hermione wanted to kiss him right on the spot. Hermione went to sit up and a shooting pain rang through her shoulders. She gasped as the numbness took over again and she laid back down. She looked back at Ron with worried eyes and he gently stroked her cheek. "Don't sit up. Just relax. You're safe now." He muttered, watching her face. Hermione thought about those words. "You're safe now". Did that actually mean she was safe? For how long? Worried thoughts flooded her mind. Ron saw this. "You're at the Burrow. You're safe now." He repeated, as though he needed to convince himself the same thing. Hermione listened to his voice, slightly dazed. Ron looked back at her, his face worried. "Say something. Please. Anything." He pleaded. Hermione stared into his green eyes.

"...I love you." Hermione said breathlessly. Ron looked at her, still holding her hand loosely in his.

"…But…you said…" Ron was thinking about when she said she'd never had feelings for him, right before Umbridge took her away. She looked like everything she said was true. Hermione shook her head.

"Ron, if Umbridge found out that I loved you, she would have killed you on the spot. I had to lie. But it was just a lie. I love you. I never stopped loving you." Hermione explained in a weak voice. Ron looked at her with big, shocked eyes.

"But, you broke up with me…you didn't want this anymore." Ron said.

"Ron, you don't understand? I thought I was going to die. I thought that I was never going to see you again, so I thought it would be easier for you if I broke it off. I thought it would be easier for you to move on if I made you think I didn't love you anymore. You could let me go easier if I did…or so I thought." She said. A light went off in Ron's eyes. He finally understood. He looked at Hermione again. A grin lit his face

"Did you honestly think that would work? I love you. I could never love anyone else, Hermione. If you had died, I would have been a bachelor till the end of my life." Ron said. Hermione looked at him.

"I didn't want that. I just wanted you to not linger over me or my death. Breaking up with you…was the hardest  
thing I've ever done…and will ever do." Hermione said, her voice breaking. Ron gently cradled her face in his hands and softly kissed her lips.

Hermione's mind and body basically exploded. Memories were whooshing back to her, too many to handle at once. That night they spent together, their kisses, every touch, every look, every little detail of any intimate moment was coming back to her. Hermione let the memories come back to her as she kissed him, just enjoying every second of it. Soon, Hermione was clutching his shirt with her good hand. Ron pulled back, looking quite breathless.

"I love you." Ron whispered. "I love you so much." Hermione looked at him, still holding his shirt as tightly as possible. It all seemed too good to be true. She felt as if he would disappear as soon as she let go of him.

"…Stay with me…please." Hermione pleaded. "I don't want this to be a dream. Please. I don't want you to leave again." Hysteria was building in her throat. So many questions were wanting to be answered, but she pushed them aside. She didn't care how she got here, what happened back at the Ministry or why she was in so much pain. All she cared about right now was that she was with Ron.

Ron looked at her gently and then nodded. He slowly got up and climbed into the bed beside her, putting his arms around her as gently as he possibly could. Hermione laid there, holding onto him, snuggling into his chest. She never wanted to leave him ever again and, as long as he was here with her, she knew she never would.


	19. Chapter 19

~Chapter 19: The return of a daughter~

After a few days of bed rest, Hermione was finally ready to get up and move around. No one was able to see her, due to the fact that she could only stay conscious for a few minutes before she passed out, but she was getting better with each day.

Hermione was sitting up in her bed while Ron explained what they'd done since her imprisonment.

"We studied for days, Hermione. I've never read so much in my life." Ron told her, remembering the nights he stayed up and read book after book about Azkaban and the Ministry's history. Hermione looked at him with weak disapproval.

"I sincerely hope that you didn't lose too much sleep over me." she said in a tired voice, still very weak. Ron decided to not say anything more on the studying. He knew how upset Hermione would be if he told her how many nights he worked through with little to no sleep. He moved on.

"Anyways, we were trying to figure out where you were because _The Prophet _said that you weren't sent to Azkaban." Ron told her. Hermione nodded.

"Yeah. I'd probably have preferred being there instead of in her office." Hermione said coldly, remembering the trial.

"Why didn't they put you in Azkaban?" Ron asked. Hermione sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"I got sort of cheeky during the Muggle-Born Registration trial. The short of it is that the Minister thought I called his wife ugly because he told me I looked like her and, well, that's got to be the worst insult anyone can ever give to someone else." Hermione said quickly, wanting to get that explanation over with, slightly depressed. Ron looked at her and squeezed her hand.

"Blimey Hermione, when are you going to realize that you're beautiful?" Ron asked, stunned by the fact she still thought she was ugly. Hermione flushed, shaking her head.

"Anyways-," she continued, not answering his question. "He decided he wanted me to live, but get what I deserved at the same time. Umbridge struck a deal with him. She wanted revenge for what I put her through and…she got it." Hermione's voice got quieter at the end. Ron kissed her cheek softly in comfort. She looked over at him. "How did you find out where I was?"

"Well, George was joking about the fact that there was only one thing worse than Azkaban: Umbridge." Ron grinned. "-Which was true. Everyone knew it. We were studying one day and George was putting up the news clipping about your trial and Umbridge's resignation of Senior Undersecretary on a board for valuable information. I saw it and pieced together the fact that Umbridge hated you and wanted revenge with the fact that you weren't in Azkaban and she resigned from the one job she loved. It all made perfect sense. So, we made a plan. We decided to break into the Ministry and get you back. It went according to plan except for the fact that Adolf wasn't in his office. Luna and Neville were supposed to stop him from going anywhere, but he was in Umbridge's office. The fireworks were amazing, though." He grinned. "You should've seen this one firework that Fred and George made. It was a toad that had Umbridge's head." He said, completely amused by the thought of seeing something like that. Hermione smiled at him.

"I wish I had seen it. I could hear it but…" Hermione stopped, her sentence trailing off. Ron went on.

"So yeah, we stunned Umbridge, I fought Adolf until he was down and Harry and I grabbed you. We had to run to the fireplaces. They almost closed on us again, but we managed to get through just in time. We brought you back to the Burrow and my mum got you all settled and fixed up. You were out for at least a day and a half before you finally woke up." Ron explained. Hermione swallowed, remembering waking up a couple days previously. Ron looked at her troubled eyes and felt his heart squeeze a bit.

"…Do you want to talk about what happened while you were at the Ministry? What did Umbridge do to you?" Ron inquired. Hermione felt that unease in her stomach twist uncomfortably again. She felt like there was a wall blocking all of those thoughts from her conscious mind.

"I-I…Well…" Hermione cleared her throat and looked at her hands. She lifted her left hand and unwrapped the bandage around it. She hissed in pain when air stung the cuts on the back of her hand. The words were perfectly legible. They were red and inflamed and hurt a lot. She turned her hand so Ron could read the words. Ron took her hand gently and read it, his lips forming the words "I am not a witch". He paused for a moment before he realized what Umbridge did to her. His eyes widened.

"She…she made you write lines with those wretched quills?!" Ron asked, his voice outraged. Hermione pulled her hand away immediately and began wrapping it again, trying to think of the right words to say to him.

"Not exactly with those quills." Hermione said soft.

"What do you mean "Not exactly"?"

"W-Well, the quills were…upgraded." She said.

"Explain." Urged Ron.

"I don't want to make you-,"

"Just tell me, Hermione. I can take it." Ron told her firmly. Hermione sighed, collecting her thoughts.

"Well…they had just manufactured a new type of quill. It did the same things that we used in our fifth year, and more. You know how after you used the quill, your skin would cut and then heal over itself?" Hermione said. Ron nodded. "Well…these quills didn't let the skin heal. They just cut deeper and deeper. And if you didn't write fast enough, the quill would…shock you." she flinched, remembering how much pain that quill caused her. Ron looked like he was in pain too.

"…Mum said that they tortured you…did they?" Ron asked painfully. Hermione hesitated.

"Ron, I-I don't think I need to tell you-,"

"Did they?" Ron repeated, sounding angry. Hermione swallowed and nodded. Ron's green eyes flared with fury. It took him a moment to gather himself again.

"…For how long?" he asked finally. Hermione shrugged.

"I don't remember." She lied. Ron looked at her blankly.

"You remember." Ron said flatly. Hermione exhaled and it hurt. She winced.

"They…she did it every day. She did it until I said what she wanted me to say." Hermione told Ron.

"And what was that?" Ron asked.

"…That I'm not a witch…that I'm a Muggle." Hermione said very quietly, her head bowed to hide her ashamed face. Ron stroked her cheek lovingly.

"…I'm so sorry, Hermione. If I could have stopped it, I would have. I would have taken your place." Ron told her truthfully. He sounded like he was in so much pain and his face showed it. Hermione felt horrible.

"Ron, please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. It's fine that it happened. It's over. We get to move on." Hermione said, desperately trying to convince him of that. Ron shook his head lightly.

"I don't want you to shield me, Hermione. I want you to tell me everything that happened." Ron urged, looking at her with agony-filled eyes. Hermione scrambled to come up with a good excuse.

"You don't need to know, Ron. It's killing you, even now." Hermione told him. Ron just kept shaking his head.

"You need to tell me. I don't know whether I can function without knowing."

"Well, I really don't-,"

"Please Hermione. I can handle it." Ron begged. Hermione looked at her hands, shaking her head.

"No. I can't put that burden on anyone. Especially if that person is someone I love." Hermione told him with reasoning.

"Hermione, please! It won't be a burden!" Ron said, his voice getting angry. Hermione didn't want this. She heard those voices in her head, Umbridge's voice, Adolf's voice, even Aunt Muriel's voice. They were screaming at her.

"_Mudblood!"_

_ "Muggle!"_

_ "You're not a witch!"_

_ "She's an abomination!" _

_ "You filthy little Mudblood!" _

_ "_No…"

"_You're worthless!"_

_ "You're ugly!"_

_ "_No."

"_You deserve to be crawling!"_

_ "You're not a witch! You're not a witch"_

_ "_NO!" Hermione screamed, snapping back into reality. Ron looked at her with frightened eyes. He had moved away from her. Hermione felt her heart racing in her chest. She took a couple deep breaths to calm herself. "…No." she said again. Ron stayed quiet, still shocked. Hermione looked over. "I can't tell you…I can't tell you what they did to me. I can't tell you all of it. I'm not ready. Right now, all I want to do is try to forget any of this ever happened and try to move on with my life. Okay?" Hermione asked Ron. Ron nodded slowly, inching towards her again. Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry I yelled. I just felt like I wasn't getting my point across." She lied convincingly. Ron nodded at her and kissed her cheek softly.

"It's alright." Ron assured her. There was a brief bout of silence before Ron spoke again. "Are you feeling up to seeing everyone today? They're all excited to see how you are." Ron smiled at her. Hermione smiled back, thinking of Ginny and Harry and the whole Weasley family. A sudden warm feeling spread through her body.

"I'd love to." She said happily. Ron grinned brightly. With Ron's help, Hermione started to get up. She felt her head spin a little and her joints felt stiff and uncomfortable, but she couldn't wait to get up and move around. Ron helped her stand up and he put his arm around her thin waist. She felt stronger. She took a hesitant step and it felt okay. She took another and another and another and soon she was walking. She smiled and looked at Ron.

"I can stand on my own. I have to get dressed anyway." Hermione said. Ron nodded, seeing how strong she was on her feet.

"Okay. I'll tell everyone you're up. Be careful though." He kissed her cheek and gave her a look that said "don't do anything foolish while I'm gone" and left. Hermione smiled and looked around the room. It looked like Ron's room, but it was…tidier and much more spacious than before. Maybe it was because of the absence of many sprawled Quidditch magazines or clothes all over the floor. She looked over and saw a closet. She went over to it, making sure to keep a hand on the wall for support just in case. She opened a door and found all her clothes there. She took one of her sweaters and held it in her hands. She remembered situations in which she wore this sweater. She remembers her days off at Hogwarts when she would sit and study in her casual wear.

Hermione picked a nice sweater and jeans to put on. As she put them on, and did up her jeans, she noticed just how skinny she'd gotten. There was easily two or three inches of extra waistband on the jeans than she didn't. She turned around and noticed a brush and some hairspray on her bedside table, along with what appeared to be a vanity with her toothbrush and a facecloth. She was so thankful Mrs. Weasley thought of everything. She went over to the vanity and washed her face, brushed her teeth, and combed her hair and as she looked up at the mirror to see if her hair looked relatively tamed, she saw her reflection and froze in her tracks.

Her face was peaky, incredibly so that she looked deathly sick. Even after days of eating and getting better, she still looked on the verge of death. Her chocolate brown eyes looked tired and dull, like all the light had gone from them. Hermione's face had also thinned out. The once comfortable plumpness in her cheeks was gone. Her lips were dry and the only expression she could seem to manage was agonized. She shook her head and washed out her mouth, then splashed her face with water again. She looked at her hair and noticed it looked pretty good under the circumstances. She ran her hand over it anyway and then found makeup in the drawers of the vanity. She breathed a sigh of relief and started applying it. She put on her facial cream, which ended up being two times darker than her facial color because of her peaky tone. But, when she put it on, it looked better. It looked…normal.

She put on blush to make her face look alive, she made sure she didn't look tired at any angle. Then she stopped and tried to smile at the mirror but no matter how hard she tried, the smile never reached her eyes. She tried harder and made sure she thought about who she was seeing. She was going to see Harry and Ginny again, the whole Weasley family. She was excited. She was going to see her family…her family. Hermione's thoughts lingered over her parents. She felt her eyes start to fill with tears, but that's when Ron came in. She made sure she was stable before turning around and giving him her best smile. Ron looked at her and smiled, not noticing how close she was to crying a few seconds ago. He came over.

"You look great." He kissed her cheek, but Hermione wanted more. She got on her tiptoes and kissed him full on the lips. He seemed surprised again, which Hermione didn't understand, but, then again, it had been three weeks since they'd kissed. Maybe more than that. The feeling was still very new to them. When they finished, Hermione pulled away and rested her forehead on his, looking in his eyes.

"Let's go downstairs." She smiled. Ron smiled back and pulled away, offering his arm charmingly. Hermione took it with a stable hand and realized the bandage was still on her hand. She thought she would keep it there, just for the time being. She wanted them to see her as normal right now, and showing her "I am not a witch" scars on her hand wouldn't be a good idea. She and Ron walked out of her room and she noticed something odd. Ron was limping. She looked over at him as they climbed down the stairs.

"What's wrong with your leg?" She asked, her voice concerned. Ron shrugged.

"Adolf. He got me in the leg. But it's fine. It'll be healed in a few days." Ron assured her. Hermione felt a pang in her stomach as she came to the landing. She caused that. _She _caused that. But, she didn't have time to think about that. She looked over and saw a crowded living room of the Burrow and every Weasley, with the exception of Fred and Percy, standing there. She also saw, to her surprise, Professor McGonagall, Luna, Neville, Dean, Cho, Seamus, and yet another shocking surprise, Draco Malfoy standing there. She also saw, standing beside Draco, a girl that she had never met. A beautiful girl, who was the only one in the room not looking at her. She only had eyes for Ron. Hermione felt her stomach twist in uncomfortable knots but she pushed that feeling away also as she heard a thunderous applause from the entire group of people, whooping and hollering. Hermione felt her face beaming as she and Ron came forward to greet everyone. She smiled and was immediately in the arms of Bill, then Fleur, who kissed her on both cheeks.

"We're so glad you're alright, Hermione." Bill said charmingly. Fleur beamed.

"Yes! We are so 'appy you are okay!" Fleur said brightly. Hermione smiled at them both as Neville came forward with Luna and both hugged her.

"You didn't think you were just gunna leave us forever, did you?" Neville said. Hermione laughed as Luna pecked her cheek and handed her a smooth bright orange rock. Hermione looked at her curiously. Luna smiled at her.

"It's called a Trifium rock. It's for a speedy recovery. Just rub it in between your palms once a day and you'll be better in no time!" Luna said expressively. Hermione giggled and, just for her benefit, she rubbed the rock between her palms and then put it in her pocket and hugged Luna once more before George came over.

"Hey 'Mione!" he hugged her tightly too, which she returned gratefully. "Did you see the fireworks?" he asked. Hermione gave him a smile of apology.

"I heard them and sort of saw them. But I was in a bit of a state. I'd love to see them again." She said.

"Well, you'll be able to! The shop is open again." George said. "You can come down and get whatever your joking heart desires." He kissed her cheek and Hermione was suddenly being hugged by Dean and Cho and Seamus, then Charlie came and hugged her as well.

"Welcome back, Hermione." Charlie said. Hermione beamed as she and Ron walked through and greeted everyone. She saw McGonagall standing there. As Ron went over to talk to Dean and Seamus, looking the most happy he'd been in ages, Hermione went over to her old Transfiguration teacher. She smiled at Hermione and, as Hermione came forward, she saw tears brimming behind her square glasses. Hermione looked at her kindly, standing well enough away so she didn't expect a hug from her.

"Hello Professor McGonagall." She smiled at her. McGonagall looked at a loss for words for a moment before she strode forwards and flung her arms around Hermione. Hermione was shocked, her mouth hanging open a bit and her eyes wide, but she soon returned the hug. McGonagall pulled back after a moment and smiled at Hermione with very kind eyes, (a huge difference from her normal stern facial expression.) As much as it was different, it was nice.

"I'm so very glad you're alright, Miss Granger. You truly are the cleverest witch of your age and I feel very privileged to have taught such a bright young woman. I only hope, when you're ready of course, that you'll return to Hogwarts and complete your schooling." McGonagall said warmly. Hermione felt a pang of something inside her that made her almost want to slap herself. Hermione felt herself trying to maintain composure. She wasn't a witch. She was a Muggle. How could a clever old witch like McGonagall not see that? Hermione smiled at McGonagall and she nodded.

"Of course. Thank you Professor." McGonagall nodded and let her move on to other people as she went over to talk to Ron. Hermione came to Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley, who were both smiling brightly at her. They both embraced her and held her for a long moment, being so glad that they had their daughter back. Hermione felt like they were her only family now. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were like her parents to her.

As they pulled back, both of them kissed her cheek and Mrs. Weasley moved her bangs out of her face.

"Thank you so much for your help, Mrs. Weasley. And you Mr. Weasley. I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you and everyone else here." Hermione said earnestly. They beamed at her.

"It was our pleasure, Hermione. You'll always be part of the family." Mr. Weasley told her kindly.

"_Our_ family." Mrs. Weasley added. Hermione felt tears start again and she tried to blink them back, but they came anyway. She gave them another hug and then Mrs. Weasley said something she wasn't expecting to hear. "Welcome home, dear." Hermione felt so full of joy and overwhelming peace. She _was_ home. This was her home.

"Hey Granger." She heard from behind her. She turned to see Malfoy standing behind her, his hands in his pockets, standing beside the girl she didn't recognize. She walked towards them. She wondered exactly what they were doing here. Draco looked at her with his bluish grey eyes and held out his long, pale hand. Hermione looked at it and back up at his face. "I'm sorry I such a git to you for so long. It turns out, apparently, that you're not actually all bad." He said. Hermione measured his expression for another couple seconds before she looked at his hand and took it, shaking it. She gave him a smile.

"Thanks Malfoy. That means a lot." She said. Malfoy nodded curtly and pulled his hand back. Hermione looked at the girl standing beside him and saw she was glancing at Ron again. She quickly cleared her throat. "Who's this?" she asked. Adalie turned and looked at her, putting on a smile. Hermione noticed how utterly gorgeous she was. She took in her beauty as she offered her hand to her.

"I'm Adalie. A cousin of Draco's." Adalie said. Hermione shook her hand, forcing a smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Adalie." Hermione said, which was half true. She did not like the way she was staring at Ron. She didn't like it at all. But, Hermione saw the people she was looking for. Harry, Ron and Ginny. "Will you excuse me?" she said and didn't wait for her answer. She walked over to where they were standing. Ginny and Harry, who were holding hands, spotted Hermione and they both grinned. Ginny let go of Harry's hand and ran over to her best friend, flinging her arms around her in a hug, both laughing in glee. Hermione hugged her tightly, so happy to see her. Ron and Harry came over as Ginny kissed her cheek and pulled back, both still laughing.

"You kept your promise." Ginny spotted. Hermione grinned.

"What promise?" Harry asked.

"That she'd stay alive." Ginny told him. Harry grinned at her and went forward to hug his best friend too.

"Ah, she didn't have to promise that, did you Hermione? You're a fighter." Harry said, holding her close. Hermione laughed.

"I missed you, Harry." She said. He pulled back and she kissed his cheek, just beaming. "I missed you all so much. I'm so glad I'm back." Hermione told them. They all smiled at her.

"Well, we're glad you're back. It was awfully dull without you here." Harry said.

"Yeah, we were going mad without your cleverness-," Ginny said.

"-And bossiness." Harry piped in again. Hermione laughed, shaking her head.

"Who thought the thing that annoyed you the most could mean so much to you." Ron said, grinning as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Hermione smiled up at him.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. Hermione tried to keep the conversation about anything but her stay with Umbridge, and she also tried to keep Ron by her side for the whole night. She was unsuccessful. Ron had wandered off to talk to other people and every time Hermione wasn't on his arm, Adalie was over at his side, talking and smiling in the most flirtatious way possible. Hermione would try to find a reason to go over and capture his attention, but by the end of the night, him and Adalie were talking yet again. When Hermione was ready for bed, she decided to just leave Ron alone. She was supposed to trust him, after all. She did trust him. The person she didn't trust was herself. She was scared that she wasn't good enough for him.

Hermione saw Ginny and went over to her as Harry went to go say goodnight to Bill and Fleur, who were going back to Shell Cottage. Ginny smiled and put her arm around her.

"C'mon. We'll have a girls' night. If you're up to it, that is." Ginny said cheerfully. Hermione grinned at her.

"Get me one of your mum's Cinnamon buns and I'm game." Hermione bargained. Ginny grinned back at her.

"Deal. You can go wait in the living room. I'll get that Cinnamon bun and some drinks." Ginny walked off and Hermione obeyed, going into the now empty living room. She sat on the couch and heard Ron and Adalie outside the door. She heard Adalie's laughter and her stomach twisted in knots again. She didn't like this. She strained her ears to hear what they were saying.

"I had a really nice time tonight. She seems like a…nice person." Said Adalie's voice.

"Yeah, she is." Ron said in a much happier tone. There was some silence before Adalie spoke again.

"I'm putting in a resume for George's joke shop. I heard you were applying there too." She said.

"Yeah, I am." He answered.

"Well, maybe I'll see you then." There was a quick silence and Hermione felt as though something had happened. She looked over and wanted to look through the blinds, but forced herself to stay still. After a quick moment of silence, Adalie's voice rang out again. "Goodnight Ron." Her voice was seducing and sly, like a snake getting ready for the attack.

"Yeah…goodnight." He rushed inside and spotted Hermione on the couch. He shut the door and smiled at her. "Hey! Did you enjoy seeing everyone?" he asked. Hermione nodded, trying to force a smile. "Awesome! Are you coming up to bed?" Ron asked, pointing upstairs. Hermione shook her head.

"No. Ginny and I are having a girls' night. You and Harry can hang out tonight." Hermione said. Ron looked disappointed.

"I guess so. But he doesn't have what I want." He said and added a mischievous grin and looked quite pointedly at her chest area. Hermione felt her heart skip a beat slightly. She did miss that. His hands on her. But she couldn't. Not yet. She gave him a smirk.

"I certainly hope he doesn't have that, or Ginny's going to be very upset." Hermione said. Ron chuckled.

"Well, I'm gunna go upstairs. I'll see you tomorrow." He came forward and pecked her cheek before turning and leaving upstairs. But as he went, Hermione spotted something she didn't expect or want to see. She saw, on Ron's cheek, a pair of lips that had been marked by the one person who had worn pink lipstick that evening: Adalie Knowles.


	20. Chapter 20

~Chapter 20: Confessions~

A week had passed since Hermione's arrival at the Burrow. She was still weak and thinner than she usually was, but Mrs. Weasley wasn't about to have Hermione get hungry at all. She was feeding her until she was full enough to burst and as much as Hermione was having problems warding Mrs. Weasley off with her bountiful amounts of amazing cooking and baking that she tried to shove down her throat daily, Hermione was having bigger and more important problems.

Hermione was having nightmares, but not just any normal nightmares. These nightmares were making her wake up screaming every single night. She hadn't gotten a good nights' rest since coming back, so, to add to her thin form and sickeningly pale face, she had dark circles under her eyes, which made her look even more sick.

On top of that stress, there were the issues with Adalie. It seemed that every second Adalie could manage; she was with Ron, talking to him about anything and everything. Hermione was getting suspicious of her feelings for him.

On one fall afternoon, Draco and Adalie had come over unexpectedly and without notice. As Mrs. Weasley invited them into the sitting room, Hermione stood up to greet Draco and his cousin, who was looking around with hopeful eyes. Hermione shrugged that off and hoped the only person she wanted to see was Ginny in this house.

"Hey Granger. You're looking better." Draco said quickly as he sat himself down on the couch. Hermione gave him a smile. She still wasn't used to this new side of Malfoy. It was almost creepy.

"Thanks Malfoy. What do we owe the pleasure?" Hermione inquired, sitting on the opposite couch as Adalie sat down.

"Well, I was invited. Potter wanted to challenge me to a Quidditch match here." Malfoy explained. Hermione's eyebrows arched.

"He invited you here? But-,"

"Hey Malfoy! You ready to play some Quidditch?" said a voice from behind Hermione. Hermione turned to see Harry and Ron grinning at Malfoy, both dressed in very old, but loose clothing. Hermione raised an eyebrow and noticed Malfoy was wearing blue jeans and a black t-shirt. She didn't realize that Malfoy brought his impressive broomstick along with him. Harry had his Firebolt and Ron had his Nimbus Two-Thousand that Fred and George had got him a couple Christmas's ago.

"Totally, Potter." he grinned, picking up his broomstick. Then, he seemed to remember something. He looked at Hermione and fished in his jean pocket for a moment, and then he extracted something that Hermione thought she'd never see again: her wand.

Hermione's mouth dropped open. She stared at it with wide eyes.

"I thought you'd like this back. I found it after the Battle." Malfoy said in an indifferent tone. He held it out for her. Hermione deliberated before she took it in her hand.

As soon as the wand made contact, a warm, tingly feeling spread up her hand and through her body. She smiled slightly.

But that feeling didn't last forever because, soon after that, memories whizzed into her brain, her own voice shouting at her in her head. She knew they were spells, but they were coming so fast that she couldn't differentiate between them. Then, as soon as it started, it was over and she was staring into Malfoy's grey eyes again. It took her a moment to clue in again.

"…Thank you." she said quietly. Malfoy nodded and she put her wand gently on the dining room table as they started speaking again.

"George wants to play. I told him that he couldn't be on our team because you were missing a player." Ron said, smirking. Malfoy looked confused.

"What are you on about? That would make it three on two." Draco countered. Ron grinned and held out another broomstick that belonged to Ginny and looked at Hermione. Hermione's heart sank.

"Uh, what are you looking at me like that for?" Hermione asked, taking a tiny step back. Ron smirked.

"Ginny's gone into town to shop. It looks like you're our Chaser." He threw the broomstick at Hermione, which she managed to catch for half a second before it slid from her hands. She let out a little squeak as the broom met the floor and immediately bent down to pick it up, flushing as Adalie looked at her with that irritating smirk on her face.

"Oh, no, no. I am not playing Quidditch with you. You'll lose." Hermione said, trying to pass the broom over to Ron again. Ron refused to take it.

"Maybe that's a good thing. C'mon Granger. Get on the broom." Malfoy said. Hermione shook her head quickly.

"No. I absolutely refuse. I've never played Quidditch in my life!" Hermione objected. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry! You've watched Harry and me for years! You know practically everything there is to know about Quidditch!" Ron said enthusiastically.

"Hermione, just think: how many times did you read _Quidditch through the ages_?" Harry added. Hermione thought about that.

"…Ten." She admitted, flushing. Ron and Harry saw an easy win.

" There you go! You're a natural!" Harry said. Hermione sputtered, trying to find a new excuse.

"B-B-But, just because I read a bunch about how the Snitch was made after the likes of a small golden bird, which is still on the verge of extinction even today, and the fact that the game Creaothceann was made illegal in 1762, doesn't mean that I'm an expert on Quidditch! I've hardly ever flown before!" Hermione tried again. Adalie came forward with a shrug of her shoulders, picking up her broomstick too.

"If you're too afraid of a little Quidditch, that's okay. We can play without you." Adalie said indifferently. Hermione saw her give Ron a look and then looked back at Hermione with a taunting smirk. Hermione felt the fire rise in her chest again. "I'm sure she's still too weak to play with anything or anyone at the moment." Adalie added. "Oh well. More for me." she winked at Hermione, who ground her teeth. Adalie saw this, also, as an easy win and the prize for this easy win being a certain red headed boy. Hermione, however, wasn't going to have any of it.

So, this was going to be about Ron, was it? Well, she wasn't going to have any of that.

"I think I will play, actually." Hermione said smoothly. Adalie snapped her head in her direction again, looking furious. Hermione gave her a smile. "A little Quidditch goes a long way." She added and winked back at Adalie. The boys seemed confused as to why they were speaking in riddles but all three of them knew that trying to decipher it was dangerous for their health, so they decided to just shrug it off as a girls' thing.

Adalie, who looked like she was just forced to swallow a particularly bad batch of Polyjuice potion, walked out, striding onto the home-made Quidditch pitch that the Weasleys had set up in their enormous backyard. Draco left after her and Ron and Harry took Hermione outside with them. She decided to keep the mindset that if she lost the match, she'd lose Ron. Every Quidditch fanatic, like Ron, wanted a woman that could keep up with him on land and in the air and Hermione wasn't about to give that up just because of some floozy that wants Ron. She wasn't giving up that easy and, truthfully, neither was Adalie.

As the girls walked out onto the Quidditch pitch, brooms in hand, Adalie gave Hermione the most violent look she's ever seen. And then, Hermione shot an even more violent look back at her. This was gunna be good…

Ron and Harry mounted their brooms, flying into the air with ease and precision. Hermione looked at the broomstick, then looked at Ron, who was flying towards his set of goalposts. Hermione sighed and looked down at her broom again and mounted it. She took a deep breath and tried to kick off the ground like she'd been taught in her first year, and how Harry and Ron had demonstrated mere seconds ago. Her broom levitated quickly but she couldn't keep it up. The handle leaned towards the ground and she slid off the front.

A tiny yelp of surprise came from Hermione as she landed on her face in the dirt below. As she gathered herself, she heard Adalie's laughter coming from in the sky, as well as Malfoy's sniggering.

Hermione quickly got to her feet, brushed herself off and saw her broom in the air still, just in her reach. She reached up and grabbed it down, then she mounted it and tried again.

THUMP!

Hermione landed on her backside, the broom toppling to the ground. She growled, annoyed with this. She was about ready to give up when she heard Adalie shout at her.

"Maybe this is a sign, Granger! If the broom doesn't like you, then maybe you aren't destined to ever ride it!" Adalie yelled. Hermione glared at her and snatched the broom, muttering curses under her breath as she mounted again, feeling Ron and Harry's eyes on her. She pushed off once more and shakily maintained her balance as she rose into the air on the broom. She felt so unsafe on this thin piece of wood. She just wanted back on the ground, but she pushed herself to keep in the air. She wasn't going to lose Ron over a lousy game of Quidditch.

"Alright! Harry and Malfoy are Seekers!" Ron bellowed from the other pair of rings on the end of the field. "George and I are Keepers! Hermione and Adalie are Catchers!"

"B-B-But, I thought there were seven players on a team! Who're we supposed to pass to?" Hermione shouted back at Ron, trembling, holding the broomstick tightly with her cold hands.

"Just pass it to whoever is on your team!" Ron yelled. Hermione gulped loudly as she turned to face Adalie, who was grinning from ear to ear.

Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at the old rustic Quidditch box on the ground containing all the balls used in the game. Hermione heard a quick "shling!" as the Snitch shot into the air, it fluttering and disappearing in almost an instant. Harry then pointed at the Quaffle and it raised itself out of the box and into the air.

"On the count of three!" Harry yelled, still holding his wand in the air, the Quaffle right in between Hermione and Adalie. "One…! Two…! Three…!" the Quaffle shot feet in the air and Hermione measured how many feet it had before it came within grabbing distance. The Quaffle started coming down and Hermione kept hand firmly on her broom, raising the other to try and catch this red ball. To her surprise, she felt ball land, but not where she wanted it to.

Her hand missed the ball and it bounced off her head, toppling towards the ground. Hermione hardly felt anything, due to the bushiness and density of her hair, but she saw Adalie catch it reflexively. Hermione snarled as Adalie raced towards Ron, the Quaffle in hand, a grin on her face. Hermione exhaled sharply and looked at the broom.

"Go." She commanded.

WHOOSH!

Hermione flew through the air like a bullet, unable to stop. She screamed with chilling fear and, also, glee, as she zoomed through the air. She looked right in front of her and saw Adalie, who seemed to be going backwards because of the speed Hermione was going. Hermione realized that she was about to crash into her. Her eyes widened.

"STOP! STOP!" She tried to command the broom, but it wouldn't obey. It whizzed over and right into Adalie's broomstick, back-ending her and sending the Quaffle down the field in the opposite direction that Adalie was going.

Adalie ended up upside down, clutching her broomstick while Ron roared with laughter as Harry caught the Quaffle and raced towards George's goal. Adalie looked like she was about to take Hermione's head off with her own bare hands. Hermione smiled as Ron continued to bellow. She turned and tried to ease the broom forward slowly.

It flew at medium speed down the field as Harry got the Quaffle in one of the rings. Harry wheeled around, grinning, holding out his hand for Hermione's. Hermione reached out and he high-fived her. The force of the hit sent her spinning for a couple seconds as Malfoy got the ball and started to go up the field. Hermione went forward as Harry slammed into Malfoy, forcing him to drop the ball. Hermione looked down as it fell and pointed her broomstick handle to where it was falling. She shot downwards so quickly that she actually caught the ball.

She felt a quick twinge of triumph but that went away quickly when she realized that she was still flying towards the hard ground. She yanked her handle up, screaming in terror and she ended up flying up again, going slightly off the perimeter of the field, but managing to turn back around and go back towards the pitch. Adalie was coming at her, a violent air to her features. Adalie slammed into her and Hermione shrieked, dropping the ball, but it was saved by Harry, who caught it and started making his way towards the opposite rings. Hermione, still shaken by seeing Adalie coming at her, lurched forwards also, flying shakily as Harry whizzed in between Malfoy with ease and precision as he tried his utmost best to grab him. Harry looked around as Hermione came flying up to his level again. Harry made eye contact with her and threw the Quaffle at her as Adalie dived to catch it.

Hermione felt the ball come to her again and she was surprised at how easy catching this was.

"Make the shot, Hermione!" Harry bellowed. Hermione took aim at the rings which George was covering quite well, and threw it with all her strength at one of the empty rings. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, not sure if she could see whether it made it in or not.

A thunderous roar from both Harry and Ron told her she had gotten lucky. Hermione opened her eyes to see Adalie cursing loudly and grabbing the Quaffle from Malfoy as she whizzed up the field.

The goal Hermione had gotten had given her a huge boost in confidence. She felt less nervous flying. She turned and quickly flew up the field as Malfoy and Harry chased Adalie toward Ron's goal. Hermione saw him looking at Adalie as she came towards him and shot the Quaffle at him. With a lunge, Ron caught it skillfully. Hermione smiled as he looked around and Adalie flew back, ready to try and intercept anything that he threw. Hermione held out her hand and suddenly, Ron was throwing it at her. She reached up and-!

THWAP! It didn't reach Hermione's hands. Instead, a stunned Hermione saw Adalie speeding away from her with the Quaffle in hand. Hermione looked apologetically at Ron and spun around to chase her down again. Adalie and Hermione were now side by side, going towards Ron's goal.

"HIT HER! SMASH INTO HER AGAIN!" Harry yelled at her, trying to force his Firebolt faster, trying to also catch up. Hermione looked around desperately and smashed into Adalie. Adalie swerved for a mille-second before she rammed into Hermione too, knocking her off balance. She squeaked, holding onto the broom for dear life as it jerked out from under her. She regained her balance as she flew downwards slightly, just so that Adalie couldn't hit her while she was trying to refocus.

BAM! Harry was beside Adalie and he gave her a good hitting. She finally dropped the Quaffle and Hermione, being under Adalie, was able to catch it.

Again, Hermione felt shocked, but she turned sharply and headed towards the other team's goal.

But, Malfoy came out of nowhere, it seemed, and blocked her form moving. Their bodies smashed into one another and Hermione felt herself sliding backwards off the broom. She saw Harry and whipped the Quaffle at him as she slid and tried to grab the broom. She felt another hit that knocked her hands right off the broomstick and, as slid off the broom, she saw Adalie streak away before anyone noticed what was happening. Hermione reached up desperately, finding the handle, but it was too late. Her fingers fumbled on the handle of the broom and suddenly she was falling towards the ground with nothing to hold onto. She didn't have time to scream because she knew she was just going to die. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"HERMIONE!"

Hermione continued to wait for her to strike the hard ground. She had been high enough that she would have died. But the hard impact didn't come. She instead felt arms catch her.

She peeked through her lashes to see Harry there, on his broomstick, the Quaffle nowhere to be seen. She felt herself shaking in his arms. She buried her head in his chest, just wanting to get on solid land.

"Please…I don't want to fly anymore." She whispered, her heart beating in her throat. Harry nodded understandingly, remembering how scared he'd been in his first Quidditch match and also how nervous he'd been after his first fall.

Harry slowly lowered her to the ground and made sure she was steady on her feet. "You alright? Do you need anything? Water, or…?" Harry asked kindly. Hermione shook her head.

"I-I'm fine. Just scared myself. I-I'll be inside." She turned and walked shakily towards the house, going inside. She took some deep breaths to calm her breathing, which, to her surprise, was hardly coming up her throat at all.

She went to the kitchen to grab some water. Why did she ever agree to that? She knows that she's horrible on a broomstick and she wasn't even supposed to be playing Quidditch anyway. She knew she wasn't a witch, so why play a magical sport?

Hermione heard the others ground their brooms for a moment and then Adalie's voice saying "No, it's alright, I'll check on her!"

Hermione thought it odd that she'd be coming instead of Ron. She went into the living room and saw her wand on the table, where she'd left it.

The door opened and suddenly Adalie was standing there, holding her broomstick in one hand, closing the door with the other.

Their eyes met. She stared at Hermione for a moment before either of them spoke.

"Are you alright?" Adalie asked Hermione, her voice a little too kind. Hermione felt her eyes narrow slightly. She couldn't help but wonder what she was on about.

"…I'm fine. I just don't like flying. That's all." She said quietly, her voice suspicious. Adalie played with the end of her broom handle, looking at her fingers.

"Why?" she asked, sounding curious. Hermione sighed. Maybe Adalie was trying to turn another leaf. Maybe she was actually trying to be friendly to her for some odd reason that Hermione didn't understand yet.

"I'm afraid of heights." Hermione said to her. Adalie looked with a cocked head at Hermione, her eyes thoughtful.

"Why are you afraid of heights?" she questioned. Hermione felt her guard go up again. She was asking too many questions.

"Why do you want to know?" Hermione asked back, crossing her arms. Adalie had that look of innocence on her face that made Hermione immediately assume she was guilty of something.

"I'm just curious." She said with a false timid nature. Hermione exhaled and explained, her tone that of a teenager trying to explain why she wasn't done her homework.

"My mum and I were at a mall and I fell down the escalators, which are basically moving stairs. I've been afraid ever since." She admitted sourly. Adalie nodded, looking anywhere but Hermione, trailing her hand along the wall, along the couch…

"Have you told Ron about your fear of heights?" she inquired quietly. Hermione's eyes narrowed further.

"No…why?" Hermione said cautiously. Adalie shrugged.

"I don't know. Just wondering…" it sounded like she wasn't finished her sentence, so Hermione waited as Adalie kept looking around. "…You guys just seem like the type to tell each other everything, that's all. But, that can't be true." Adalie said mysteriously. Hermione watched her curiously.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Adalie looked over at Hermione with an eyebrow raised.

"Doesn't he tell you how he was when he met me?" she asked Hermione.

"…No, he didn't." Hermione said. Adalie seemed too eager to tell her instead.

"It was all so adorable," Adalie gushed. "He saw me and I introduced myself but he wouldn't talk. Well, more like couldn't talk," she corrected herself, smiling. "He just stared. We didn't talk for a while, but when we did, it seemed to be for hours." She continued. "He loves to talk about Quidditch. If you get him talking about that, he'll talk forever! Have you noticed?" Adalie asked sweetly. Hermione felt the fire start again, in her chest, burning up her throat. She held her anger in.

"W-W-Well-,"

"Oh, let me guess: you've never talked to him about Quidditch. You only reprimand him, right?" Adalie guessed. Hermione looked at her, ready to explode.

"I do not reprimand him!" Hermione said furiously.

"Uh huh. Sure. I suppose you don't like the idea of him working at Wizard Weasley Wheezes for the rest of his life and not completing his education." Adalie said smoothly. Hermione looked at her, shocked. She knew that he wanted to apply for the job, but she didn't know he wasn't going to finish school.

Adalie smirked at Hermione, seeing the dumbfounded look on her face. "Oh, he didn't tell you?" she asked with fake shock. She smiled at her. "He told me all about his plans for the future," she said, almost pacing in front of Hermione. "He told me he wanted to work there for the rest of his life and forget about trying to be anything more than that. He hates school." She added, just to push Hermione's buttons. Hermione clenched her jaw, holding back her fiery tongue.

Adalie continued to pace the room as she watched her. After a moment, Adalie spoke again. "Alright, Granger. I'm gunna be frank with you, okay? This isn't going to be pretty if you keep doing this to him. I found out that you make him feel like crap when you talk to him about not completing homework and not being his full potential. I mean, it's bad enough that you make him feel like shit when you yell at him for forgetting something as simple as a book or a quill." Adalie said. "Poor guy. I'd want out of school too, if I had to deal with that daily." Adalie added. Hermione glared at her, practically seething with hatred for her.

"Why is this any of your business? He's not your boyfriend." Hermione said strongly. Adalie looked at her and a grin formed on her face.

"…Yet." Was all she said. That was it.

Hermione leaped forward and punched Adalie across the face so hard that she smashed into the wall, her body bouncing off the hard wood. Hermione strode over and pointed at her, her finger inches away from her nose, her face promising more violence.

"Now you listen to me, you foul snake-," Hermione hissed at her. "You can try however hard you like to get Ron to like you in whatever twisted way you have in mind, but I know that he's smarter than that. He knows his feelings as well as I and nothing you say or do will make me doubt that." She told her. Adalie felt blood trickle down her lip. As she stared into Hermione's eyes, she wiped the blood away with her hand and looked at it. She nodded slowly, looking back up at Hermione's face. She pulled her hand back and punched Hermione with great force, knocking her backwards, making her topple over the coffee table, which flipped over, causing her wand and several cups onto the floor. Hermione barely had time to regain herself when Adalie whipped out her wand and strode over, pointing it at her face. Hermione froze, looking up at her, her head throbbing, her anger building faster than she could've imagined.

"You give him too much credit, Granger." Adalie told her fiercely. "You're so naïve. You think that just because he said he loves you that he's gunna continue to? He's a hormonal guy! He doesn't know what to love! He changes his mind every other second! Why do you think you stand a chance against me?" Adalie asked. Hermione fumbled as she tried to get up, but Adalie shot a spell at her, knocking her backwards again.

Hermione looked up at her, fuming as Adalie backed up a little, still pointing her wand at her.

"Pick up your wand, Granger. Let's duel. Last person standing gets his love." Adalie hissed, grinning. Hermione looked at her wand and back at her, getting to her feet, as angry as ever. She refused to pick it up. She wasn't a witch. She couldn't cast spells. Why was she even doing this? She knew Ron loved her. She knew that.

Adalie stared at her, her wand raised. "What's the matter? Scared you'll lose?" she taunted. Hermione glared at her. Adalie waited another couple seconds but she then realized that she wasn't picking up her wand any time soon, so she shot another spell at her. Hermione quickly dodged it as it shattered one of Mrs. Weasley's vases.

Hermione's anger started to slowly melt into fear as Adalie continued to fire spell after spell at her.

"Face it, Granger! You're nothing but a worthless piece of Mudblood filth!" Adalie screamed, shooting another spell at her. Hermione jumped out of the way, her heart racing. "You're ugly! He'll never love you like he loves me! And who would?" Adalie asked as Hermione continued to dodge the jets of white and blue that shot out of her wand and towards her. "Who was with Ron when he was nursing his broken heart, huh Granger?! Who was there for him when you weren't? That's right! Me! You're holding on too tight, Granger. You know you don't stand a chance against me so you're tightening your grip!" Adalie shouted. "So, why try?! Why don't you pick up that wand and duel me? HUH?!" She exclaimed, a spell narrowly missing Hermione's face. Hermione felt herself get angry again. "Why fight for him?!"

"BECAUSE I'M IN LOVE WITH HIM!" She shrieked back. Adalie stopped for a moment before she advanced on her, wand raised. Hermione cowered back slightly, backing away, her confidence gone. Adalie raised her hand and slapped her across the face hard. Hermione's head snapped to the side, her hair getting in her face. She shrunk away as Adalie advanced. Neither of them noticed the door open as Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Harry, Ron, George and Malfoy entered the Burrow. They all looked around the room, which was in shambles because of the Adalie's spells. They looked over to see Adalie and a terror-filled Hermione, Adalie backing her into a corner with her wand.

"What's going on-?" Mrs. Weasley started, but Adalie didn't hear. She was too preoccupied firing a stinging jinx at Hermione. It caught her leg and she collapsed with a shriek of pain.

"WHY DON'T YOU FIGHT BACK, YOU FILTHY MUDBLOOD?!" Adalie screamed at her as she took the jinx off her leg and shot more spells at her. Hermione stood, shaking off the pain, and dodged more of her spells. Ginny and Malfoy grabbed Adalie from behind, dragging her back as she struggled to get. "WHY DON'T YOU FIGHT?!"

Hermione had had enough. She was through with this crap. She stood there, tears forming in her eyes, just wanting everyone to finally understand.

"BECAUSE I'M A MUGGLE!" Hermione shouted out.

The room fell completely silent. No one moved a muscle. They all just stared at Hermione, who was standing there, tears running down her face. Malfoy and Ginny held onto Adalie, but Adalie had stopped struggling altogether. She stared at Hermione with an almost fierce triumph on her face. Malfoy looked like he'd been confounded, Mrs. Weasley looked shocked, George looked uncomfortable, Harry and Ginny looked at one another quickly, then looked down. Finally, Hermione saw Ron. He was staring at her with a heartbreakingly sad expression on his face.

She couldn't take it. Hermione turned and ran up the stairs and to her room, shutting the door. She stood there, bewildered and shocked that she finally admitted it. She tried to catch her breath as sobs came up her throat, strangling her voice or any other type of sound that came from her.

Downstairs, Ginny yanked Adalie from Malfoy and grabbed her by the hair, towing her to the door as everyone parted to watch her.

Adalie yelped in pain as she pulled on her hair. Ginny threw her out and pulled out her wand, pointing it at Adalie's face.

"Don't you ever call her a Mudblood again." She said, through her teeth, seething. Adalie tried to collect herself just as Malfoy came out the door. Ginny directed her aim at Malfoy's chest. Malfoy, who looked terrified, put his hands up in surrender. "Get this wench out of here, Malfoy." She ordered firmly. Malfoy didn't need telling twice. He grabbed Adalie and pulled her to her feet. "Oh, and Malfoy?" Ginny said. Malfoy looked at her again, still looking quite frightened. "I know that you wanted to repay this debt you had to Harry and Ron. Some people would think you've changed in some ways, but I know that, no matter how many times it sheds its skin, a snake is still a snake." Malfoy looked like he was filled with some sort of guilt as he realized the truth she was speaking. He got the message that he wasn't welcome here and nodded curtly at Ginny before turning on the spot, Disapperating with Adalie.

When they saw that Malfoy and Adalie were gone, Harry and Ron rushed up the stairs to Hermione's room. They quickly stepped inside to see her there, sitting on her bed, as distraught as before, crying.

"…Hermione, what was that about?" Harry asked her, hesitating as they stepped closer to her. "Why did you say you were a Muggle?"

Hermione refused to look at either of them.

"Because th-that's what I am." She said brokenly. Ron and Harry exchanged a look before Ron spoke.

"Hermione, that's mad. You're the brightest witch of your age. You aren't a Muggle." Ron said.

"Y-You don't understand," Hermione countered, wiping her eyes with her sleeve as more tears came. "I'm not a witch. Everyone thinks I am but all along…I was just a Muggle." Hermione told them. Harry shook his head as Ron spoke again.

"No. Don't listen to Adalie, Hermione. She doesn't know anything." Ron said. Hermione looked at him and then at Ron. She was suddenly angry again.

"Then how did she know a whole bunch of stuff about you and your feelings?" she shot back. Ron watched her curiously, not knowing what she was talking about. "Why didn't you tell me that you hated it when I bossed you around? Why did you tell her?! Why did you tell her that you wanted to quit your schooling and not me?! Why only tell her?!" Hermione asked shrilly. Ron looked at Hermione in shock, scrambling to speak.

"I didn't just tell her! I told Harry and Ginny! I was going to tell you but-," Ron didn't have time to finish because Hermione turned on Harry, who looked terrified.

"So you knew too and you didn't tell me? Why am I the last to know?" Hermione asked, feeling extremely hurt.

"Well, you've been sick Hermione. I couldn't tell you in the state you were in-," Ron tried, but Hermione cut him off.

"That's no excuse! We talked for days before I was out of bed, Ronald! Honestly, we talked about everything but what Adalie told me you told her! You could have mentioned it once! It's your future and you told her about it and not me?! You told _her_! Someone you barley know and you don't tell the girl that you've known since you were eleven! Not even when that girl is your girlfriend!" Hermione exclaimed loudly. Ron looked gobsmacked. He stared at her, unable to speak. Hermione looked at them both and then down at her hands, forcing herself not to cry again. "I don't understand you…either of you anymore. I guess I don't understand myself either." She took a deep breath. "I didn't know people could change so quickly in the course of three weeks." She stood and walked to the door, walking out it, leaving Harry and Ron standing there in her room, still shocked by her words and actions, both of them finally realizing how much their best friend had changed.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Illogical Loony Lovegood

Hermione sat outside in the backyard, sitting on a fallen tree, staring at the long grass as it swayed in the chilly December air. It was very nearly close to Christmas now and the clouds were looking like they just might give off the first snowfall of the season.

The fight with Adalie and Hermione's confession was still fresh in everyone's mind. Harry and Ron had tried to talk to Hermione but every time they mentioned the word "witch" or "magic", she'd immediately shut down.

Hermione was still cross with Ron about the whole Adalie situation. Even now, as Ron is starting to try and compliment her more and making her feel wonderful, she can't get Adalie's voice out of her head. "_Who was there when he was nursing his broken heart?"_ She didn't know how much longer she could last like this. More and more each day, Hermione would sink deeper and deeper into a dark depression that would envelope her entire being. Sometimes she could hardly remember how to smile. She just wanted things to go back to the way they were before any of this happened. She didn't want to feel this way anymore. She didn't want to be alone.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" said someone behind her. Hermione turned and saw Luna standing there, staring at her pleasantly. Hermione, for once, was glad it was Luna and not anyone else. Ever since that day, everyone has been acting so happy around her, it felt fake to her. Even Ginny, who had hardly made eye contact, realizing her mistake of not telling Hermione about Ron's decisions to not continue with school, let alone talked with Hermione, seemed so out of character.

Hermione realized how long she was staring at Luna without answering her. She shook her head lightly, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.

"Sure. Sorry Luna. I lost my train of thought." Hermione apologized softly. Luna sat down beside her, staring out at the grass too.

"No, that's quite alright. Did the Wrackspurts get to you?" Luna asked her. Hermione turned to stare at the side of her face.

"…I'm sorry, the what?"

"Wrackspurts. They're invisible creatures that float around your brain and make your mind go fuzzy. I thought you would've known what they were, seeing as you read so many different books." Said Luna dreamily, still gazing out at the grass. Hermione bit her lip, feeling unnatural. She felt…normal. Not uncomfortable, like she usually felt these days. She even felt a bit of her old, know-it-all self return for a moment.

"…That sounds utterly ridiculous." Hermione said, her voice turning slightly sharper. Luna didn't seem to notice the difference in tones.

"I don't think so. I think it sounds illogical." Luna said quietly.

"Exactly," she turned in her seat to face her a little more as Luna continued to stare at the swaying field of grass. "If it's so illogical, why do you say things like that?" She inquired curiously. Luna sighed, as though this was going to take a long time to explain to her. Luna turned to look at Hermione with a calm expression on her face.

"Why do you not like illogical thoughts?" Luna asked back.

"It's not that I don't like them. It's that I think they're a waste of a thought." Hermione told her. Luna didn't answer her for a moment. Instead, she stared out at the field again, her long silvery blonde hair blowing in the slight breeze.

"…Do you think that flowers are illogical?" Luna inquired. Hermione was confused.

"No? Why would I think such a thing?" Hermione asked.

"Because flowers are as illogical as they come. Think about it. They start out as a seed, correct?" Luna said.

"Yes."

"And they grow, without being told, without needing instruction. Am I right?" She asked. Hermione nodded.

"Yes."

"And in the winter, they wilt and die. Right?" Luna said. Again, Hermione nodded.

"Then what else do I need to say about flowers being illogical?" Luna inquired, looking at her. Hermione's eyebrows raised in further confusion.

"…I don't get it." she said simply. Luna sighed again, as though she was having such a hard time getting her to understand something so simple.

"Hermione, can you explain, in a logical way, why the rain falls?" Luna asked.

"Er…no. I can't." she answered truthfully.

"So, does that mean the rain is illogical?" Luna said quietly. Hermione looked at her, incredulous.

"No? Why would the rain be illogical?" Hermione asked, so confused.

"Because it can't be explained." Said Luna simply. "It's like…liking chocolate. You like chocolate, I assume?"

"Yes, very much so. Who doesn't like chocolate?"

"That's irrelevant," Luna stated. "Why do you like chocolate?"

"Because it's… tasty?" Hermione said, still not sure where she was getting at, but getting closer.

"Yes, but why is it tasty?" Luna asked.

"Well, it's made up of some of my favorite things." Hermione said.

"And why do you like those favorite things that are in chocolate?" She asked.

"…Because…they're tasty." She said, so dizzy with confusion. Luna nodded.

"And why are they tasty?" Luna asked.

"…Because…" Hermione couldn't finish the sentence. Luna nodded, as though she was getting somewhere.

"Exactly. You see, you don't know why you like chocolate because it cannot be explained. You don't know why the rain falls when it does because it cannot be explained by a logical mind. Sometimes, Hermione, you just have to like things for what they are and you don't have to look into it like a science experiment." Luna said knowledgably.

"But…how does chocolate and rain and flowers have to do with whether Wrackspurts are real or not?" Hermione asked slowly.

"Can you tell me that Wrackspurts aren't real? Can you tell me that they don't exist? Do you have proof that they are a myth?" Luna inquired. Hermione looked at her shrewdly.

"Of course not! But why should I prove that? Do you expect me to go around with a fishnet, looking for something that's invisible?" Déjà vu. Hermione remembered having this argument with Luna's father a while ago. She closed her mouth.

"Hermione, just try to imagine something. You wouldn't be here if it weren't for illogical things. No one can explain how a human is made. I mean, sure, they can try to explain how the sperm and egg meet," Luna added when she saw Hermione's face. "But you can't explain how the sperm knows how to find the egg. You just can't. It's not possible. So, why try?" Luna asked. Hermione thought about that for a moment.

"…To find out how it works." Hermione said quietly.

"And what do you gain from that?" Luna asked.

"…Knowledge." Hermione said simply. Luna nodded.

"So, you're saying that you want to learn everything about the world and gain all the knowledge about everything and everyone?" Luna said for clarification. Hermione looked at her with big eyes.

"I want to learn all I can in the time I have, yes. I know I'll never learn _everything_-,"

"Hermione, some things aren't meant to be figured out," Luna told her softly, her face kind, gentle. "Some things are meant to be left out of the picture. It's okay that you don't know why but that's what makes life sparkle. The unknown is so comforting. Haven't you ever heard the saying "Ignorance is bliss"?" Luna asked her. Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "Don't you think it's better to not know some things? Don't you think you can do without knowing why for every situation?" She inquired. It finally clicked. Hermione finally understood.

"…Yes." Was all she said. Luna smiled, seeing the light in her eyes.

"You see? Being illogical isn't so hard." Luna said lightly. Hermione felt a smile come to her face. She looked at Luna and laughed slightly, not able to believe that she was actually having this conversation with someone like Luna Lovegood and that she wasn't blowing up at her.

Hermione's smile and laughter faded as quickly as it had appeared. She was back to thinking about Ron and Adalie again. Luna saw her eyes, seeing how troubled she was.

"…I don't know what to do." Hermione said quietly, looking out at the grass again, feeling the cool air against her cheek. "…I feel like I'm losing him." At that moment, Hermione didn't care that she didn't make any sense and, to Luna, it didn't matter. She understood perfectly.

"Hermione, life is too short to worry about losing someone. You need to show them how much they actually matter to you. If fate is smiling on you and Ron, it'll work out…if it doesn't…well, at least you'll know that it wasn't meant to be and that there's someone else waiting for you out there." Luna told her, smiling. Hermione looked at her, interested in that.

"How do you know that?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Greek mythology states that it was said that people were first made with four arms, four legs and two heads but Zeus, fearing their power over him, split them in half and condemning them to live the rest of their lives trying to find their other half. I strongly believe this is true." Luna smiled. Hermione smiled back. She was suddenly filled with inspiration. What was she thinking? This wasn't just about a crush or whether Ron was hers or not. This was about finding her other half. If Ron was destined to be hers, then he would be.

"Thanks Luna. You helped more than you know." She leaned down and hugged her tightly before running inside. She saw Ron sitting in the living room, polishing his broom with a special type of oil his mother got him for Christmas. He heard the door close behind her and looked up. Any trace of a smile was gone from his lips. He looked at her and tried a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Hermione. What're you doing?" Ron asked. He'd noticed how odd her face looked.

Hermione strode over to Ron, taking his cloth and broomstick away rom him. She set it on the table and pulled him up. Without a word, she kissed him full on, right on the lips, letting the passion leak into the steamy kiss.

In the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley was washing dishes. She heard her son say Hermione's name and then nothing else. She peeked out of the kitchen and saw them snogging in her living room. A smile lit her face as she stood there for a moment, then ducked back inside to give them the privacy they deserved.

After a moment, Hermione pulled back, just an inch, to look Ron in the eye. He looked shocked and, frankly, quite happier than he'd been all week.

"I'm sorry Ron," Hermione whispered. "…I'm sorry I didn't trust you. I'm sorry I didn't trust your judgement. From now on, I'll think before blowing up on you like that, okay? I'm sorry." She apologized. It was heartfelt and Ron could sense that. "If you'll let me…I'd love to try again. I promise I won't be as wound tight as I normally am. I just…I realized that I don't want to lose you because of my pride." Hermione said. Ron looked at how sincere she was and smiled brightly. He kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry too, Mione. But I promise something. I promise that I'll stay as true to you as ever, okay? Adalie is just a stupid girl. Like Lavender. I don't care about her." Ron told her honestly. Hermione beamed at him.

"I love you." she kissed him for a moment.

"I love you too." Ron returned it, smiling.

The door opened. Harry and Ginny walked in, hand in hand. They stopped to look when they saw Hermione and Ron in one another's arms. They grinned at one another.

Hermione turned around and ran to Ginny, hugging her tightly.

"I'm sorry I was such a complete nutter." She said as she hugged Ginny. Ginny burst out laughing, embracing her back.

"I'm sorry for being such a horrible friend." She apologized back, a smile on her face. Harry watched them with a grin on his face. He gave a subtle thumbs up to Ron before Hermione flung herself on him too, apologizing.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I shouldn't have treated you that way. It was stupid of me. Completely ridiculous, in fact." Hermione said. She pulled back and gave them a smile.

"Don't worry about it," Harry told her with the grin still implanted on his face. Hermione pulled back to look at them all

"I'm sorry. I promise I'll try to be more open minded about things and not jump to conclusions as much." Hermione vowed.

"Blimey Harry, the world's coming to an end again." Ron said, clapping Harry on the back as he laughed loudly.

Mrs. Weasley walked in the room, pretending not to have heard it at all. She smiled at them.

"Well, this seems like a happy bunch! Did we work things out?" She asked, like she didn't already know. Hermione beamed.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley, we did." She said as Ron came over and out an arm around her.

"Well, that's wonderful, my dear! I'm so happy you're all mature enough to handle all of this without adult help." She said.

"Mum, we basically _are_ adults." Ron added, looking at her sheepishly. Mrs. Weasley came forward and kissed her son, having to reach on tip toe to do so.

"I know dear, but you'll always be my little Ronald." She said in a silky sweet motherly way. Ron permitted her to pinch his cheeks and then she turned around to look at Luna and Neville, who just came through the door, holding hands and smiling. "Oh, there you are! Thanks so much for coming, both of you."

Hermione's eyes narrowed slightly. "You mean...you got Luna to come?" she asked. Mrs. Weasley smiled at Hermione mischievously and gave a "who needs to know?" shrug before turning back into the kitchen.

Ron took Hermione's hand and led her upstairs to her room. As soon as the door was closed, Hermione's lips were on his, kissing him passionately. Ron seemed to have no objections or complaints. He kissed her back, pulling her close. When they pulled away, he stroked her cheek.

"Promise me you'll never do that to me." Ron said. Hermione raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Never do what to you?" She inquired. Ron grinned and pinched Hermione's cheeks gently. She giggled, blushing.

"Become my mother. That's what." Said Ron through chuckles. Hermione sighed and ran her hand through his orange hair.

"I promise. We're very different people." Hermione stated. Ron gave her a shrug.

"I've noticed some similarities between the two of you. Like, when you're angry at me, you always say "Ronald!" the same way she does. Or how you get this look on your face every time I'm goofing off." Ron said. Hermione slapped his arm, trying to look as serious as possible before her expression broke into a smile and she laughed.

"Seriously! I will not turn into your mother! It's never going to happen." Hermione said strongly. Ron grinned at her.

"Never say never." He stated simply. Hermione smirked.

"Oh, just kiss me already." She said with a cute smile on her face. Ron obliged her order willingly, pulling her close and kissing her softly as the wind blew through the open window into their room, signaling the beginning of a winter chill in the soft fall air.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Do something about it!

It was a week away from Christmas Eve and the Burrow was bustling with Christmas spirit. The chill in the air had lingered and it was growing colder and colder outside.

Mrs. Weasley was as busy as ever, trying to prepare the house for the holiday, decorating every surface with some sort of festive ornament. Mr. Weasley was also hard at work trying to sell some of his "Muggle car parts" to anyone who would buy them. Of course, he wasn't selling them in the Wizarding world. The Ministry was trying to block all Muggle influences from the minds of witches and wizards everywhere and selling Muggle car parts to magical beings would be suicide for both Mr. Weasley and his job. Not that his job was staying afloat either. Almost his entire section of his work was gone. The family suspected the worse would happen if they closed off that part of the Ministry any further.

Ron and Harry were standing outside of the Burrow, collecting pumpkins that the Weasleys had tried growing. The pumpkins, being twice the size of normal pumpkins, were at least 300 pounds each. Ron, who had an axe and was hacking at the stems of the pumpkin that was connected to the thick vines which protruded from the soil, had stopped for a moment to take a breather while Harry looked at the half severed pumpkin stem, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Tell me again why we can't just use magic to cut these pumpkins off the stems." Harry said to Ron, who was trying to breathe as normally as possible, leaning against the side of the house. Ron raised his hand to point at two black, shriveled pumpkins that smelled like rotting garbage.

"You see those? That's what happened when I tried using magic on them." Ron said breathlessly, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Harry smirked at him.

"Why can't we just get Hermione? We'd have had these things done ages ago if we'd have gotten her to do it." Harry told him, straightening up. Hermione and Ginny had gone Christmas shopping for the family for the day so it was just Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and the two boys at the Burrow since Charlie was visiting Hagrid and George was working at the Joke shop.

"Because I want to try and surprise her by making pumpkin pie for her. It's her favorite." Ron explained to Harry. Harry thought about this for a second, smirking quietly.

"You really do love her, don't you?" Harry said. He knew that Ron would never attempt to try cooking or baking anything ever and it seemed very out of character for him to bake something for someone. Well, not technically out of character. More love-struck.

Ron sighed quietly, smiling. "Yeah, I do." Harry grinned at him.

"Who ever thought that we'd be where we are today, Ron. We were just two guys who met on their way to Hogwarts, totally oblivious of any hormones we may possess, eating chocolate frogs and Licorice wands." Harry said as he sat down on the huge pumpkin they were hacking at.

"We were two nutters, weren't we?" Ron grinned. Harry laughed.

"We still are." He corrected. Ron chuckled.

"True." Ron agreed. Harry watched Ron as he stared at the pumpkins for a second, grinning at old memories. Now was as best a time as ever.

"...Do you ever think about...you know...the future?" Harry asked Ron. Ron looked at Harry with a confused look on his face. He shrugged.

"Sometimes. A lot more now that everything seems to be calming down. Why?" Ron inquired, watching Harry, who pretended as though he was just wondering.

"I dunno. I just feel like, after all that we've done to save the world and all, we should get to...you know...settle down." Harry said cautiously. Ron thought about what he said for a moment.

"The question is will we ever be able to settle down? I mean, we've defeated Voldemort, but things are still a bloody mess." Ron countered.

"Well, everyone is still trying to move on. Everyone is so used to being scared and now that there's nothing to be scared of, they made something to fear." Harry explained.

"But isn't everyone tired of fear? Can't we just live our lives without it?" Ron inquired. Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't think we can. We're just used to being scared all the time. We don't like to change." Harry said. Ron  
sighed and picked the axe up again, looking at the pumpkin stem.

"Why are you even thinking about this, anyway? You never used to think this way, mate." Ron said as he aimed at the stem with the blade of the axe. Harry watched Ron hesitantly.

"...I guess that's what being in love does to you." Harry said quietly. Ron swung the axe down and Harry jumped as it made contact with the stem. Ron looked over at Harry and then back at the axe, lining it up again.

"You really love my sister." He said. It wasn't really a question. It was a statement. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, I do." Harry said clearly. Ron swung the axe down again, the stem almost severed from the vine. Harry felt nervous when he didn't answer for a couple seconds.

"...Why don't you do something about that?" Ron asked after a moment. Harry watched him as he turned to look at him.

"...What do you mean?" Harry asked Ron. Ron looked at the axe again, lined it up and swung.

"I mean why don't you do something about that? Why don't we both do something about it? You love Ginny and I love Hermione." Ron said as though he was trying to get somewhere.

"...So?" Harry urged him on. Ron lined the axe up one more time.

"...So? Let's both do something about that." Ron said. Harry watched as Ron swung down one last time and disconnected the pumpkin from the vine. Harry finally realized what he was saying. A grin spread across his face, his green eyes lighting up. Ron turned to him and grinned also. He held out his hand for Harry's and Harry took it, shaking it, then pulling him in a hug, both of them understanding how exactly they were going to do something about the love they felt for their girlfriends.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Nightmare after Nightmare

_"Bring her to me!" Adolf's voice rang out loud and clear in the dark hallway of the Department of Mysteries. Hermione stood in the aisle of prophecies, having no recollection of getting there in the first place. She turned around and saw two men coming towards her with wands. They shot stunning spells at her as they ran. _

_ Hermione took off running, her heart pounding in her chest. Her immediate reaction was to fall, curl into a tiny ball and hope that they didn't notice she was there. But she couldn't. If she stopped, she'd be dead. If she kept running, she'd be dead. Either way, she wasn't living through this._

_ Hermione rounded the corner as she made her way to the door of the Department of Mysteries. She hurled herself out of it and slammed the door shut. As soon as the door touched the wooden frame, it began to spin, moving away from her. She stood in the middle of the spinning circle of doors. She waited until the doors stopped spinning and then she looked at them all surrounding her. She decided to just pick one. She yanked the door open and ran through it, shutting it behind her and suddenly, she wasn't in the Ministry of Magic. She was in her house. Her old house that she grew up in as a child. She looked around her foyer, seeing her father's umbrella in the corner, and the staircase that led upstairs to her and her parent's bedroom. She walked forwards, seeing the entranceway to the living room and to the kitchen. It wasn't a very large house. It was only meant for three people. It was comfortable. The Grangers were always comfortable._

_ Hermione walked into her living room and saw her mother laying on the couch, fast asleep. She felt herself go warm inside as she stepped towards her, so excited._

_ "Mum!" she reached forward to touch her arm to wake her and saw her own fingers go right through her arm and appear on the other side, as though they'd never made contact. Hermione looked at her hand and tried again, waving her hand along her arm, trying to see whether her mother would wake up. "Mum? Mum, wake up! Wake up! Can't you hear me?!" There was no response. Hermione backed up a little bit, looking at her hands. She felt as real as she normally was to herself. She looked back at her mother and saw her open her eyes and stretch, yawning quietly. Hermione's attention was immediately focused back on her. _

_ "Mum! Mum, I missed you so much! You don't understand! I thought you were dead!" Hermione exclaimed. Her mum got up and Hermione got a better look at her. She looked...bloated. And tired. Very tired. Hermione looked at her curiously. "Why are you so bloated?" Hermione asked her. Hermione's mother did not acknowledge her at all, nor did she answer her. She stared right through her, as though she couldn't see her. Hermione watched as her mother walked forwards and right through her own body. Hermione gasped and turned around as her mum traveled into the kitchen. It took Hermione a moment to take a few more steps, following her mum._

_ As she stepped onto the linoleum floor, Hermione saw her father standing in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, drinking a cup of tea as he stared out the window. Mrs. Granger came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her forehead on his shoulder. Mr. Granger sighed._

_ "Do you think she'll look like you or I?" he asked her. Mrs. Granger smiled quietly._

_ "I don't know, dear. Who do you think she'll look like?" She asked him back. Mr. Granger turned around and looked at his wife, stroking her cheek. He sighed again._

_ "I do hope she looks like you. It would be terrible if she was cursed with my looks." Mr. Granger joked. Mrs. Granger laughed softly._

_ "Oh please, Martin. You're a very handsome man." She told him, smoothing down his shirt. Mr. Granger smirked at her._

_ "Yes, but I don't know about you but I want our daughter to be beautiful, not handsome." Mr. Granger said. Hermione was so very confused._

_ "Mum, dad, I'm right here! Why are you ignoring me?!" Hermione strode over to her dad, who was still staring at her mum as though Hermione had said nothing. "Dad! Is this one of your stupid jokes? Because it's not funny! Not in the least!" Hermione told him. Still no response from either of them. They didn't even flinch or look over at her._

_ "Oh, come on. She'll be a beautiful little girl. Why do you worry so much?" Mrs. Granger continued. Mr. Granger shrugged his shoulders. _

_ "I just don't want our daughter to be bullied like I was. What they did to me... I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, let alone my own daughter." Mr. Granger said with a hint of coldness in his voice. Mrs. Granger gently kissed his lips._

_ "Don't worry, darling. She'll be perfectly alright." She reassured him. Hermione watched them, trying to understand what was going on._

_ And then, finally, Mr. Granger did something that made Hermione understand right away. He gently caressed his wife's stomach, both of them looking down at it. Hermione froze, feeling her face drain of color. _

_ "I hope so..." Mr. Granger said quietly, staring down at his wife's pregnant stomach. _

_ Hermione was enraged. She didn't know what was happening. "Please! Please, mum! Dad! Please answer me! Why can't you hear me?! Why can't you see me?!"_

_ Hermione was suddenly being sucked out of her own house. Wind rushed in her ears, deafening her to any other sound. She tried to scramble and grab something but it was too late. She was pulled out the door and suddenly she was in Umbridge's office again. She looked around and saw Adolf and Umbridge standing there, wands pointing at her._

_ "You think you're a witch!" Adolf screamed at her. Hermione backed up, looking at him, shaking."HA! You were never a witch! You were always second best and you know it!"_

_ "You think you can just go back into the "real world" and resume being a lie?! Oh, I don't _think_ so!" Umbridge shrieked. Hermione looked at them as they advanced on her, their wands pointed at her chest._

_ "You were never good enough! You were always one step behind everyone else! Don't deny it!" Adolf yelled. Hermione shook her head._

_ "No..." She murmured, her eyes wide._

_ "Always the loser! You never had any _real _friends! What was the reason Ron and Harry hung out with you in the first place?! That's right! To copy your notes and get help with homework! Admit it! You're nothing but a tool that they used to find their way through school!" Umbridge hissed. Hermione continued to shake her head, refusing to believe it._

_ "You're wrong!" Hermione shouted back._

_ "How are we wrong when you know what we're saying is true! Hermione, you aren't anything special! So what if you have brains! Everyone can be as smart as you if they put their mind to it! You decided to be clever and logical just like people decide to be lazy and thick! Does that mean you're a witch?! NO!" Adolf hollered. _

_ "You're nothing but a worthless piece of dirt! You have no meaning in life! Why are you living?!" Umbridge asked her, jabbing her wand into her chest. Hermione bounced off the wall that she'd come in contact with as they surrounded her, getting closer and closer. "You're ugly!" Umbridge yelled._

_ "You're plain!" Adolf screamed._

_ "You're worthless!"_

_ "You're not a witch!"_

_ "No..." Hermione said, her voice trembling._

_ "You're second best!" Adolf yelled._

_ "You're everyone's last choice!" Umbridge shrieked._

_ "No." Hermione mumbled._

_ "You're a Muggle!"_

_ "You're stupid!"_

_ "You're an embarrassment!"  
_"No..."

_ "You're unlovable!"_

_ "You're horrendous!"_

_ "_No!"

"_You're ugly!"_

_ "You are not a witch!"_

_ "You're worthless!"_

_ "_NO!"

Hermione's eyes snapped open as she bolted into a sitting position, her blankets in tangled disarray around her legs. She heard her own heavy breathing as she took in the dark bedroom before her, seeing her dresser, the door, the wooden wall. She heard the wind whistling against the window and felt a chill in the air but she was far too frightened to feel the cold. She felt movement beside her and jumped, a scream in the bottom of her throat. She began to frantically smack the thing that was beside her, trying to sit up.

"OW! HERMIONE! STOP IT!" Said a hushed voice Hermione recognized. She paused for a moment, peering through the darkness for a closer look. She saw ginger hair and then green eyes and freckles. She recognized the face of the person and slouched against the headboard, on the verge of tears.

"It was a dream." Hermione whispered to herself, tears running down her pale cheeks. The nightmares that plagued her since her arrival back at the Burrow had gotten worse over time. She couldn't take it for very much longer. She could feel herself breaking inside.

"Hermione-," Ron wrapped his arms around her. He felt her trembling. "You're shaking. Was it the nightmares again?" He asked quietly. Hermione nodded, holding in sobs. She could still hear their words echo off her skull. _You're ugly! You're unlovable! You're worthless..._

Ron saw how distraught she was and held her closer as she buried her face in his bare chest. He gently stroked her hair as she cried silently. He didn't understand why she was so upset after these dreams. Most nightmares he had were just scary but he got over them. But these dreams that Hermione was having seemed to set her whole day into disaster. She'd be quiet for lengthy periods of time, which made him nervous because she usually talked constantly. But now, it was like she was having a war inside her head all the time that wouldn't stop for anything unless he distracted her. He was worried about her. He didn't know what to do.

"What was the nightmare about?" Ron asked after a moment. Hermione gathered herself a little and shrugged.

"J-Just the u-usual stuff. It never changes. It just...I-it just gets worse." Hermione said brokenly. Ron gently wiped away one of her tears with his thumb, trying to think of something he could do to help.

"...Hermione," Ron started cautiously. "...would you consider taking a potion to help you sleep? Do you remember the potion Harry took that made his sleep dreamless?" Ron inquired. Hermione thought about that for a moment before looking at him, sniffing.

"I...I don't want to be drugged. I read that if you took too much of that potion, you'll have permanent brain damage. It apparently shuts down your imagination or something of that sort." Hermione croaked. Ron watched her.

"It wouldn't be a daily dose. It would just be when you can't sleep." Ron told her. Hermione arched an eyebrow at him.

"Ron, I don't sleep at all. I would be taking it every night before I go to bed. I can't do that. I don't want my imagination to disappear." Hermione said. Ron tried to object but Hermione shook her head. "Nothing you say will make me change my mind. If I kept one part of my sane mind, it's that I'm as stubborn as I was before." Hermione said, regaining her strength. Ron grinned at her.

"Some things never change." He said as he smirked at her. Hermione's lips twitched upwards and fell back down again as she cuddled into his chest, exhausted. Ron gently kissed her head as he held her close.

"Mum's planning another party for Christmas Eve." Ron told her quietly. Hermione sighed.

"Another one? Isn't she sick of hosting parties?" Hermione asked him.

"Did you seriously just ask that question?" Ron said, smirking. Hermione laughed in a brittle way. Ron continued. "This isn't just any Christmas Eve party though. She's inviting everyone. No, don't worry. The entire Weasley family isn't coming this time." He added when he saw how big her eyes grew. "No Muriel this time." He reassured. Hermione sighed in relief.

"Good." She said. Hermione thought about what he said. She's inviting everyone. Did that mean the Malfoys too? "...Is Draco and...Adalie coming?" Hermione asked Ron. Ron looked at her, feeling the uncomfortable change in atmosphere.

"I dunno. Maybe. You can ask mum tomorrow, if you'd like." Ron said, totally sidestepping the whole Adalie conversation. Hermione decided to let it drop again. She was too tired to ask any more questions.

"Okay. I'm going to try and get some sleep. Goodnight." Hermione said softly. Ron leaned his head down and tenderly kissed her lips before he laid down with her, keeping her in his arms.

Hermione soon heard Ron's snores in her ear and knew he was out for the rest of the night but, no matter how hard Hermione tried, she could not fall back to sleep. Her mind was buzzing with the vision of her parents, the problem with Adalie and she was getting more and more anxious. She knew she couldn't change her parent's deaths. As much as she wanted to, she just couldn't. The one thing she could change was the Adalie issue. She wasn't going to lose the one thing she had left. She was never going to let Adalie win Ron over. She was ready to do anything to keep him and nothing short of death was going to stop her.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Those Voices

On Christmas Eve day, everyone was getting ready for the fantastic party that was to take place at the Burrow at eight o'clock. Mrs. Weasley had fifty things going at once and everyone was busy trying to clean up in time for the party. Well, mostly everyone.

"_Ginny!_ Ginny, I need help _right now_!" Mrs. Weasley called her. Ginny sighed, annoyed as she pulled away from Harry's lips.

"Really?" she asked herself. Harry smirked at her and stroked her cheek gently.

"We _are _supposed to be helping." Harry reminded her. Ginny smiled slyly.

"You _are_ helping...me." Ginny kissed him again. Harry kissed back for a moment before he pulled away.

"Go help your mother before she has a fit." Harry told her, grinning. Ginny got up, putting her hands on her hips.

"You can't tell me what to do, Harry Potter." She said jokingly, with a smile. Harry chuckled.

"No, I can't. But your mother can." He told her. Ginny laughed.

"On that note, I'd better get down there." She gave him one last kiss and walked out. She went out of her bedroom door and downstairs to see her mother tangled in a mess of Christmas lights. Ginny giggled at how odd she looked, wrapped in the corded lights like Devil's Snare. Mrs. Weasley huffed angrily.

"How did you do this to yourself, mum?" Ginny asked her through giggles.

"Ugh! I tried to untangle them and it just went downhill from there!" Mrs. Weasley explained, trying to get loose. "Would you help me, dear?" she asked. Ginny sighed and took out her wand. She quickly swooshed it and all the lights unraveled and landed in a neat pile on the floor. Mrs. Weasley brushed her work robes down, exhaling. "Thank you, dear. Have you picked out anything to wear tonight?"

"Not yet. I didn't think it was that kind of party. I thought it was just a get together between family." Ginny said as she looked at the half decorated Christmas tree her mum had attempted to put up.

"Well, Ginny dear, you never know what might happen at these parties. You have to look your best." Mrs. Weasley reminded her. Ginny looked at her mum and smirked.

"Oh please. It's not like I'm getting married at the party!" Ginny said with laughter. Mrs. Weasley forced out laughter too, trying to cover her panic.

"Please can you dress up a little, Ginny? It's Christmas Eve." Mrs. Weasley pleaded. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Alright mum, I will." She gave in. Ginny kissed her mother's cheek before she went upstairs to rejoin Harry. Mrs. Weasley watched her go and sighed.

"She'll thank me later." She said to herself and went to set the rest of the Christmas tree up.

"Remind me again, Ginny, why do we have to dress up for this?"

Hermione and Ginny were standing in Ginny's room, getting dressed for the party, which was mere minutes away. It was already dark outside and the wind was bitterly cold. They had the window closed but the air was still seeping into their room.

Ginny pulled on her other sleeve of the long festive dress. It was a dark royal blue that came up to about her knees with white trimming on the hem, long sleeves and neckline. The royal blue went amazingly with her light green eyes and red hair. She had her hair up in an elegant bun and just light makeup on. She looked stunning, as usual. "Mum said it's not a normal Weasley get together. I didn't exactly know what she meant by that but I'm sure everyone else is dressing up." Ginny told her. When Hermione didn't respond, Ginny turned and saw her staring at herself in the full-body mirror with an uncertain look on her face. Hermione was dressed in a stunning brown dress that had a lighter brown ribbon around the waist and no sleeves or straps. She wore her hair down in its naturally curly state but with a black ribbon in her hair. She truly did look amazing, even if she didn't think so. Hermione looked at all the exposed skin on her shoulders and neck and grabbed her black wrap. She put it over her shoulders and buttoned the one button in the front of the slip. She stared at her reflection in the mirror as Ginny walked up behind her, also staring at her in the mirror.

"You look amazing." Ginny told her, smiling brightly. Hermione gave her that half a smile that only she could do.

"You look better." Hermione said to her. Ginny stared at Hermione for a moment before Hermione looked back at herself in the mirror. She flattened her dress down, feeling so out of place in a dress like this.

"...Hermione," Ginny started hesitantly. "...Are you okay? I feel like we haven't talked in forever." Hermione didn't focus on Ginny for some time before she looked at her face in the mirror again.

"We've talked." Hermione countered. "They just weren't particularly long conversations. That's all." Hermione said indifferently. Ginny watched her expression, masked and fake.

"We always used to have long conversations. Now you hardly talk at all." Ginny said to her. Hermione shifted her weight uncomfortably, feeling tension in the air. She didn't like how this conversation was going.

"I'm just tired from not sleeping. I don't mean to be so quiet." Hermione said softly. Ginny turned her around. It wasn't a forceful movement, but the skin to skin contact made Hermione jump violently and push her hands off reflexively. She didn't realize she stopped breathing until she saw Ginny's face in front of hers. Hermione took a subtle breath in and out, her heart racing. Ginny looked at her with sad eyes.

"...Hermione... I don't know how to help you. Can you please tell me?" Ginny asked her quietly, her eyes staring into hers. Hermione looked away but realized something as she did. She remembered how she wouldn't look at Umbridge or the Minister or anyone she'd come in contact with during her imprisonment at the Ministry of Magic. She found it very hard to look into the eyes of anyone she came in contact with now. Even with Ron it was scary to look into his eyes. Eye contact meant real emotional contact, something she didn't wish to have at the Ministry. She just wanted all emotions to leave her body so she could be exactly how she felt: empty. But soon after this realization, Hermione realized another thing: Ginny was her best friend. She had been for years. Why was she so afraid of her? Why was she so afraid of everyone she loved? She was never like this before. How did this happen to her?

'Don't be a coward', Hermione thought. This was not an enemy. This was Ginny. Just Ginny. Hermione took a moment to gather herself, then mustered her courage and looked into Ginny's patient eyes. Hermione felt her brain yelling at her to duck her head but she refused. The longer she stared at her, the louder the voices would yell.

_Don't stare into her eyes, Hermione! Remember, you aren't safe with anyone anymore! You know it! Don't deny it! You need to look down. You're safe when you aren't looking into her eyes! Don't do this!_

As much as Hermione wanted to look down, she bluntly refused. She couldn't give in to these voices. She was better than that. She was Hermione Granger.

_Pfft! Hermione Granger my ass! There's no significance to that name now, sweetheart! You're a nothing! A worthless Muggle that no one wants. Look at her for example! _The voice said to her as she stared at Ginny. _She doesn't want you here! You're banging her brother! Do you know how _sick _that is?! You haven't even told her yet, have you? Yeah, I thought not._

Hermione knew she was taking too much time just staring at Ginny but as hard as she tried to open her mouth and say something, nothing came out. Her voice betrayed her, staying in the bottom of her throat as her voices in her mind yelled on.

_Now you just look like an idiot! Good job, Worthless! Bloody FANTASTIC! You wanna mess anything else up, stupid?! _

Stop it. Stop talking.

_Why should I?! You need me, Hermione! You need me to remind you of what you are! _

I don't need you. I want you to leave.

_Not gunna happen, sweet cheeks!_

"Hermione?" she heard Ginny's voice but she couldn't move or speak. The war was still raging inside of her.

I said leave me alone! I don't need your help. Get out of my head!

_Please! This is MY head. My brain. My mind. It's not yours. You're too pathetic to have a mind of your own._

Get out of my head! Please get out!

_Hermione! Get over it! I'll always be there! There's nothing you can do about it!_

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!

_YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!_

Hermione clutched her head, stumbling back, feeling dizzy. Her ears rang loudly, the words echoing off her skull. Hermione shook with uncontrollable tremors. She saw Ginny standing there, looking shocked and somewhat confused.

"Hermione," Ginny extended an arm of comfort but Hermione shook her head.

"I-I...I'm really sorry, Ginny," Hermione managed to force out. "There's nothing you can do to help me... I have to figure this all out on my own." Hermione told her. Ginny watched her for a moment before she nodded solemnly. She came forward and took her hand in hers.

"I understand," Ginny assured her calmly. She gave her a tiny smile and looked at the door of her bedroom as sounds of people coming into the Burrow traveled up from downstairs. She turned back to Hermione. "Sounds like the guests have arrived." Ginny stated. Hermione nodded quietly. "C'mon. Let's go enjoy the party." Ginny smiled at her and Hermione smiled back. She and Ginny traveled downstairs to the decorated living room to see the guests had indeed arrived.

Hagrid was the first to enter, his wild hair on-end because of the strong wind outside. He ducked to fit inside the door with booming welcomes waiting for Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, Charlie and George. Mrs. Weasley was in a lovely winter dress and Mr. Weasley, Charlie and George were in very cute dress robes. George had red velvet dress robes, Mr. Weasley had green dress robes and Charlie had brown dress robes.

Hagrid saw Hermione and Ginny and went over to them, slouching to avoid hitting his head off the ceiling.

"Hermione! How're ya?" Hagrid scooped her up in a vice-like hug, laughing as he did so. Hermione giggled too, finding it a bit hard to breathe with Hagrid's strong arms around her rib cage.

"I'm absolutely fine, thanks Hagrid. How've you been?" Hermione asked when he put her down and was able to breathe again.

"Oh, I've jus' bin runnin' 'round wild tryin' ter pack all my stuff from Hogwarts. I'm goin' on a little leave of absence, you see." Hagrid said gruffly, smiling down at her under his beard.

"Oh, where are you going?" Hermione asked him. That's when Charlie wandered over and he grinned at them both as Hagrid went on.

"I'm goin' ter Romania with Charlie next week to see the Norwegian Ridgebacks. He's goin' ter let me look at one of the sick dragons there while he's at it." Hagrid said enthusiastically, clapping Charlie on the back with his huge hand. Hermione smiled.

"You must be very excited." She noted. Hagrid nodded his big bushy head.

"Yeah! I can't wait ter see Norberta again! She's gunna be so big 'n strong!" Hagrid said excitedly. Hermione smiled as the door opened again. This time, Seamus arrived with Neville and Luna right beside them. Dean entered last with Cho Chang on his arm. She was slightly shocked for a moment that they were together but she came to the conclusion that they were very cute together. Mrs. Weasley took their coats as they got into the Burrow, their hair windswept. They were all dressed up as well. They came forward and greeted Hermione and Ginny. At this point, Hermione had noticed that Harry and Ron had still not come downstairs from changing into their dress robes. But she greeted the guests anyway.

More and more people arrived. Hermione knew them all. After Dean, Cho, Seamus, Neville and Luna arrived, Professor McGonagall came in, wearing something other than her starch black robes. She wore a lovely purple pair of dress robes that made her look less stern and more happy.

"Miss Granger! How nice it is to see you again!" Professor McGonagall said to her brightly, coming and giving her a hug. Hermione smiled as she embraced her back.

"It's lovely to see you too, professor. How have you been?" Hermione asked kindly. McGonagall smiled at her.

"Oh, just fine, dear, thank you. How have you been?" she inquired. Hermione shrugged, smiling.

"Just fair, I suppose."

"Good. On the mend, then?"

"Yes, professor." Hermione smiled. McGonagall beamed at her.

"Very good. Well, I must go say hello to Hagrid. We haven't talked in such a long time. I haven't had time to go visit him. I'll see you later." McGonagall waved goodbye and went over to Hagrid. Hermione smiled at Ginny who was looking at the staircase with curious eyes. When Hermione turned to look, she saw Harry and Ron coming down the steps. They looked so handsome. Harry was wearing a stunning pair of golden and black dress robes and Ron was wearing a very classy pair of dark green dress robes that looked absolutely amazing on him and brought out his green eyes well. Hermione smiled when she met eyes with Ron. He smiled back and then something caught his eye. He looked up and his smile flickered and faded. So did Harry's. When Hermione turned to see what they were looking at, she heard the door swing open and shut. Hermione's stomach dropped to the floor when she saw who'd entered the room: Draco and Adalie.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter twenty-five: Doing something about it

Adalie and Draco stepped into the Burrow's living room. Adalie was dressed in a stunning, tight, silver dress, which neckline plummeted so far that it was almost too much. The dress only came up to around her upper thigh. Her short black hair was styled in cute little ringlets around her perfect, beautiful face. Her greyish blue eyes were sparkling with excitement as she looked around. She was easily the most beautiful girl in this room. People seemed to notice them, but no one really paid attention to them. It was like they wanted to ignore them.

Hermione felt like her lungs were collapsing in on themselves. She could hardly breathe. She saw Adalie look over at her and tilt her head to the side, a taunting smile on her lips. Draco was there also, although he was wearing a black tux with a white tie. His blonde hair wasn't slicked down, as it usually was. It was spiked up. Even Hermione had to say he looked handsome. Hermione turned to Ginny, who'd seen them also.

"What are they doing here?" Hermione asked in her ear, keeping her eyes on Adalie, who'd spotted Ron, but wasn't making a move yet. Maybe her last talk had actually worked on her.

"I don't know. I don't know who invited them." Ginny whispered back. She seemed as lost as she was. Hermione looked at Draco and Adalie. They didn't seem to move at all. They just stood there until Dean and Seamus came over to talk to them.

"Hermione! Can you bring the punch bowl out, dear?" Mrs. Weasley's voice broke into her mind. She quickly saw her as she turned around. She cleared her throat, which had closed and, when she realized she couldn't talk, she just nodded and escaped to the kitchen. She shut the door behind her and looked around, having a well-deserved panic attack. She paced the linoleum, her flats making no noise on them. How was she going to keep Ron's eyes on her now? Adalie looked stunning! How was she going to do this?! She was going to lose him!

She heard the door open. She spun around and saw Draco standing there. Her heart, which was galloping hard in her chest, slowed down a tad.

"Hi Draco. What would you like?" Hermione asked when she was ready. Draco had his hands in his pockets. He looked at her with a blank look on his face and he shrugged.

"Nothing. You just seemed upset. That's all. I came to see if you were all right." Draco said indifferently. Hermione was somewhat confused.

"...Since when do you care about whether I'm all right or not?" Hermione asked suspiciously. Draco walked forwards a bit, his face thoughtful.

"I dunno, Granger. I just wanted to see whether I could do something to help." Malfoy told her. Hermione watched him. She recognized that look on Draco. He looked like a snake again: a snake going in for the kill.

"...Okay, Malfoy. I know why you did what you did. I know why you helped me get out of the Ministry. Ron told me all about your gallant efforts to right the wrongs you did to us in the past. But that's over now and, frankly, I don't understand why you're still hanging around." Hermione told him. Draco looked at her, seeing her strength and hearing her harsh tone but he was distracted. He walked forwards again, just a few steps.

"I'm still "hanging around" because I don't want to go back again, Granger. I don't want to go back to being my father's little minion if a son. You understand that, right?" Draco asked, his tone sly. Hermione arched an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked harshly. Draco was a foot and a half away now and wasn't showing any sign of backing off. Hermione, instead, took a couple steps back but just ended up hitting her back off of the sink. She looked at Draco as he came forwards again.

"I mean that aren't you tired of being a minion? A side-kick? Second best?" Draco asked.

Hermione froze. Second best. Her dreams. Her thoughts. Did _he _think she was second best, too? "...I don't know what you mean." Hermione lied, looking at him with firm eyes. Draco stepped ever so closer.

"...I think you do, Granger. You were always second best, weren't you? Aren't you tired of being used for your intelligence?" Draco asked. Hermione felt his cool breath on her face. She couldn't move. She felt her heart start to race again. He was much too close. "Well, I can change that." Draco told her. Hermione couldn't think. Her mind was spinning.

"...How?" she asked him breathlessly. Draco measured her expression before he spoke.

"...By being mine." He said smoothly. Hermione felt her face drain of color. "C'mon Granger. You don't have to live like this. You don't have to sink to these idiot's standards. You're better than that." Malfoy told her. Hermione couldn't believe her ears.

"What?! Malfoy, you hate me. Why are you doing this?" She tried to get away from him but he blocked her.

"Because you deserve better than this." Draco said simply. "C'mon Granger. Think about it: if you were mine, you wouldn't have to work a day in your life. You could have all the books your brainy heart desires. You can be free of anything that might hold you back." Hermione looked at Draco with big eyes.

"What is wrong with you?! You know I'm in love with Ron." Hermione said, her voice higher than usual. Then, without a warning of any kind, Draco leaned down, grabbed Hermione's face and kissed her with passion.

Hermione felt a jolt of shock, then revulsion. She struggled against his strong hands, pushing at his chest, her eyes wide open. Finally, she managed to push him backwards. Draco stumbled back, trying to find his balance. When he did, Hermione came forwards and slapped him hard across the face. Malfoy's head snapped to the side violently, the sound ringing sharp in her ears. After a moment of heated silence, Draco looked at Hermione with the loathing she'd seen when they were little.

"You're a fool for loving him, you know. You'll both end up in disaster." Malfoy hissed, getting in her face. Hermione stood her ground, looking right into his eyes.

"If I'm a fool for loving him than I guess that makes me his fool." Hermione said to him, staring him down. Draco glared at her and stepped back. He turned around and left, slamming the kitchen door behind him.

Hermione stood there for a moment, trying to get herself together before she went back outside. She remembered the punch bowl and brought it out with her. She hoped Draco and his wacko cousin had left but they hadn't. They stood in the corner of the room, whispering to one another about something.

In Hermione's absence, Bill and Fleur had arrived. Bill looked charming in his blue dress robes and his ginger hair pulled back in a ponytail and Fleur looked stunning, as usual, in a gorgeous light blue dress that complimented Bill's outfit quite well. Hermione couldn't quite manage to return the smile and wave they shot at her, but she nodded and hoped she looked like she was smiling as she went to put the punch on the food table. The room was bustling with conversation and laughter but Hermione was far too busy with her thoughts to even think about trying to talk to anyone.

An hour or so passed. The party was still alive. Many people had stopped to talk to her about anything and everything. Hermione tried to focus as best she could on what they were saying but soon after they talked to her, they'd move on to someone else. To make matters worse, Ron hadn't come to talk to her yet. He had been flooded with people talking to him and she just couldn't get over there.

Adalie had now gone over to Ron and was making conversation with him. Very flirtatious conversation at that. Hermione felt hatred bubble in the pit of her stomach but before she was about to leave the conversation she was having with Hagrid about Hippogriff feathers, she saw Ron meet eyes with Harry. She saw Harry subtly nod and Ron looked at Adalie. Hermione craned her ears to hear what their conversation was about.

"-And we could go play Quidditch after. How does that sound?" Adalie asked. Ron didn't even look at her.

"Will you excuse me for a moment please?" Ron said to her, brushing past her. Harry started to move as well, ending up in the middle of the living room where there was lots of space. Harry pulled out his wand and put the tip up to his mouth.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Could you all please come around us for a moment." Harry's magnified voice said. Everyone looked over and started to move towards them, making a circle around Harry and Ron, giving them enough room. Bill and Fleur joined them in the middle of the circle as well. Hermione made her way towards them curiously, exchanging a confused look with Ginny, who did the same.

"Thank you all for coming," Harry said, stowing his wand away. "Now, you all know you were invited here for a reason. Let's get to that reason, shall we? Firstly, Bill and Fleur have an announcement for everyone." Harry and Ron backed off for a moment to let Bill and Fleur take the floor. They held each other's hands as they smiled at everyone.

"Well, as you know, Fleur and I have been married for over a year and we have some exciting news to tell you all." Bill said. He and Fleur exchanged a beaming smile before they turned to the crowd again and said it both at the same time.

"We're pregnant!"

The crowd erupted into clapping, hollers of congratulations. Some people came to give them hugs, including Hermione, kissing them both on the cheek and giving them congratulations as well. Bill and Fleur looked like the happiest people on earth. Hermione hoped that she and Ron might look like that one day.

"Alright guys! Congratulations to Fleur and Bill on the arrival of their first baby!" Harry said. He looked at Ron, who came forwards. "Now. Ron and I have something else to announce. Ginny and Hermione, would you please come forwards?" Harry invited. Hermione blinked as everyone turned to look at the two of them. Ginny felt her pinch her arm and Hermione went through the crowd to stand in front of Ron and Ginny in front of Ron. The crowd listened intently. Harry smiled and looked at Ginny.

"Ginny, when we were little, and I met you on Platform Nine and three-quarters, I never thought we'd be where we are today. I never thought that you'd grow up to be the amazing, talented, beautiful woman we all see here today. We've gone through so much in the last seven years and we've come out of it stronger than ever and I'm hoping that we'll have another seven years, and then many more to celebrate that together. I love you so much." Harry was beaming. He pushed his glasses up his nose and looked at Ron who looked at Hermione and smiled.

"Hermione," He grinned widely. "As Harry said, I never thought we'd be where we are today but I think that because of different reasons. I thought that we'd have murdered each other already." Everyone laughed behind Hermione, which made her blush and smile. "We didn't exactly see eye to eye when we first met. Actually, we've don't see eye to eye on most things _now._" The crowd laughed again, all of them knowing this was true. "But, we grew up and the things we once had rows over are now nothing but memories and bloody hell, those were some good memories." Ron laughed, which made everyone else laugh too. Hermione giggled at Ron. "We've come through some of the roughest times in our lives already and I'm sure there will be more but as long as I have you by my side, I know I'll be alright." There was a tiny "Aww" from the crowd. Ron looked directly into her eyes, as though no one else was in the room and continued. "You're the most stunningly beautiful, amazing, talented and smart woman I know and you're the only one for me. I love you." Ron said with truth in both his eyes and voice. Hermione mouthed "I love you" back, smiling brightly. Ron looked at Harry and they grinned at one another.

"We both love both of you so much, so, we _finally _decided to do something about it." Harry said. Then, they made identical movements. Harry and Ron reached in their cloak pockets and both extracted a small box and then, at the same time, they both got on one knee. The crowd made noises of excitement and Hermione finally realized what all this was about. She covered her mouth as she stared at Ron's face, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Ginerva Molly Weasley?" Harry said, flipping open the lid of the box to reveal a gorgeous shiny engagement ring. Ginny had started to cry now too, in total shock.

"Hermione Jean Granger?" Ron said, opening the lid of the ring case, revealing a silver ring with rubies and diamonds in the top: the exact description of Hermione's dream ring. Hermione was shaking from head to foot, tears running down her face. Harry and Ron looked at their girlfriends and said the most magical words Hermione and Ginny would ever hear at the exact same time.

"Will you marry me?"

Hermione stood there for a moment, not able to speak. She was so overcome with emotions that words could not come to her lips. Ginny seemed the same way. Finally, both girls nodded, Hermione half sobbing and Ginny half laughing as they flung themselves into their men's arms and kissed them both as everyone clapped, whooped and hollered at the top of their lungs.

Hermione kissed Ron full on the lips for a moment before she pulled back and laughed as Ron pulled the ring out, also crying and slid it on her finger. Hermione examined it for a moment before she kissed Ron again as Harry put the ring on Ginny's finger. Hermione and Ginny got up and crashed into one another, hugging and laughing as the crowd clapped. Hermione kissed Ginny's cheek and she returned it.

"We're going to be sisters!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly, tears running down her face. Hermione smiled as she laughed, wiping tears off her own face and hugged her again, so incredibly happy. She knew that she could conjure a perfect patronus with this memory right here. She turned back to Ron as the crowd of people came to hug her each individually, congratulating her and covering her in kisses. Hermione laughed as talked with everyone, seeing so many smiling faces. Then, she saw two that were not smiling: Adalie and Malfoy. Malfoy looked like he'd just swallowed a Dungbomb and he was about to throw up, whereas Adalie had the most furious, I-could-kill-someone-right-now look on her face. Malfoy was the first to break out of that facade and he grabbed his jacket and walked out. Adalie took one last look at Ron, then glared at Hermione and left too, shutting the door behind her, leaving the only trace they were there being the cold gust of wind that followed. Hermione felt a soaring sensation in her soul. She'd done it. She'd finally done it! Ron was finally hers. She'd never have to worry about Adalie ever again!

Hermione turned around to see Ron coming up to her, walking away from Harry and Ginny, who were still being congratulated. He beamed at her and pulled her into his arms so they could share the most perfect kiss the world has ever seen.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter twenty-six: Christmas

"Take him away!" Umbridge slammed her hands down on the podium. The Dementors dragged a Muggle-Born man out of the Courtroom as he screamed and begged for mercy. When he was gone, Umbridge rubbed her forehead in a tired way. Adolf stared straight at the floor of the Courtroom.

"Why can't they just learn their place?" Umbridge asked in a weary voice. Adolf slowly looked up at her.

"…Maybe if the few we try to punish don't get away, they'll back off." He said in a much too calm tone. Umbridge looked at him with her small eyes.

"I'm sorry, Minister. I'm sorry Granger got away, but you have to believe me when I say that I did all I could to keep her in my possession." Umbridge said to him. Adolf was up out of his seat, towering over her in seconds. Umbridge peeked up at him with scared eyes as he glared at her. He looked like he was closed to punching her but he calmed down a little, knowing it wasn't all her fault.

"…Do you think she learned her lesson, Umbridge? Do you honestly think that she knows she's just a Muggle?" Adolf asked her. Umbridge looked up at him, trying to word it carefully.

"…I think she understands that she has no power in our world anymore." Umbridge told him. Adolf pondered that.

"Well, if she thinks she has no power then I don't see the point in trying to bring her back." Adolf said, sitting back down. Umbridge looked at him with curious eyes.

"Why not, sir?"

"It's all very simple. What threat to us is there if she doesn't do any more magic?"

"…None at all." Umbridge said quietly, realizing what he was saying.

"Exactly. Let her live her life. Let her get married and make babies with her ginger boyfriend. There's no harm in that. But if she ever tries magic again, we will know about it and we will stop it once again." Adolf said quietly. Umbridge nodded.

"Minister, should we tell her to never use magic again?"

"What for? Let her learn the hard way," Adolf told her simply. "Besides. She was a pain from the beginning. I don't want her in my sights any longer." Adolf said. Umbridge nodded quickly.

"Yes sir." She said curtly. The doors opened and Percy Weasley stepped into the Courtroom.

"The next person in question is ready, Minister." He announced with a bow of his red head. Adolf nodded at him.

"Send them in, Weasley." He told him. Percy strode out and went to fetch another person who's life was about to be condemned into Azkaban.

Harry and Ginny laid in their bed, fast asleep, their party cloths scattered on the floor of Ginny's room. Ginny's hand rested on Harry's bare chest, her engagement ring glittering in the sunlight that was pouring through their window.

Harry was the first to wake up. He opened his eyes and saw the vague outline of Ginny's face before it blurred out of sight again. Without waking her, Harry put on his glasses and his vision focused. He smiled and stroked her freckled cheek, feeling her slow breathing. He could hardly believe she was finally going to be his. It seemed so unreal to him. It seemed like yesterday he was saving her from the Basilisk in The Chamber of Secrets, or seeing how stunningly beautiful she looked at the Yule Ball. He felt the happiest he'd felt in quite a while, just contently lying with her like this. He could do this forever without stop.

Ginny stirred and her eyes flickered open. Harry saw her look around for a moment, obviously getting flashbacks from last night. A smile lit her face as she looked at Harry and sighed. She turned over a little, leaning her chin against her hands, which were on his chest.

"Good morning." She greeted him lovingly. Harry smiled and stroked her cheek with his thumb.

"Good morning." He said back. Ginny looked from his face to the ring on her finger. She and Harry examined it closely.

"…Where did you ever find such an amazing ring?" She asked him.

"In my Vault at the bank. It was my mother's engagement ring. Apparently Snape took it off her after she died and put it in the Vault." Harry told her. Ginny looked at the ring, a smile on her lips.

"It's beautiful. Snape really was trying to help you." Ginny said quietly. Harry nodded.

"He was a brave man. Much braver than I'll ever be." Harry said. Ginny looked at him and kissed his lips.

"I could counter that." She told him. Harry smiled and Ginny realized something. She heard bells ringing somewhere far off. She leapt up and grabbed a housecoat, throwing it on as she dashed to the window. She peered out of it and saw a thick layer of white snow on the once green grass with snowflakes falling gently. She turned and beamed at Harry.

"It's Christmas!" She said excitedly. Harry grinned and got up as well, pulling on his pajamas, staring out the window with her. Ginny smiled brightly and quickly got dressed before she took Harry's hand and ran downstairs.

Ron and Hermione were already downstairs, sitting on the couch, Hermione wrapped in Ron's arms. They were having a row, but it was a playful one.

"-just don't understand why you won't try cooking, Ronald. You'd do fine at it if you just tried!" Hermione said, flustered.

"Because I'd burn the house down, that's why." Ron said.

"Not if I taught you." Hermione countered. Harry and Ginny grinned at each other, walking forwards.

"I've tasted your cooking. I don't have a chance of learning how to make anything eatable." Ron said. Hermione lightly smacked his chest.

"Hey! I'm not bad at cooking! Besides, even if I was, I'd want someone else to cook for me anyways."

"Well, you have mum-,"

"Hey guys." Harry finally said. Hermione and Ron looked up sharply and saw them. They both grinned. Hermione untangled herself from his arms and went forward to hug them both.

"Happy Christmas!" Hermione said. Ron came to hug them as well.

"Happy Christmas." Ginny and Harry greeted them as they hugged one another. There were footsteps coming downstairs seconds later and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were standing there, beaming. Hermione went forward to hug them both too, smiling brightly at her soon-to-be mother and father-in-laws.

"Happy Christmas, Mrs. Weasley! Happy Christmas Mr. Weasley!" Hermione said as she hugged them both. They greeted her with open and welcome arms.

"Happy Christmas, Hermione dear. Happy Christmas to you all! I'll have breakfast on the table in a few minutes. Just relax and I'll bring it out to you." Mrs. Weasley said, pulling up her sleeves.

"Would you like some help, Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked her and gave Ron a forceful look, which he immediately responded to.

"Yeah mum, we can help." Ron told her as Harry got a painful nudge from Ginny and he nodded in agreement. Mrs. Weasley looked mildly surprised as she stared at her falsely eager son.

"Well, sure, that'd be great. Could you help the boys, Arthur? I still need to fetch a couple of presents from upstairs. Thank you dear." She kissed her husband on the cheek before he could object and Mrs. Weasley went upstairs. The girls giggled at the three boys as they frowned at one another.

"Get to work boys!" Ginny ordered, grinning. Hermione laughed quietly behind her hand as the boys groaned and made their way into the kitchen to try and prepare breakfast for them.

When Bill, Fleur and George came downstairs and saw the three girls sitting on the couches and realized the boys were in the kitchen Fleur started to laugh.

"You are making zem cook?" Fleur asked in between giggles. Hermione nodded while Ginny laughed.

"It's going to be an all-boys cook day." Hermione told her as she laughed.

"Well zen, you'd better get in zere, Bill." Fleur told him, shoving him towards the kitchen. Bill looked at the couch longingly. He looked tired but he decided not to argue with his wife. He walked to the kitchen.

"You too George." Mrs. Weasley added, taking a sip of her tea Harry had brought out for the girls. George looked at her with an incredulous expression.

"What? Why do I have to cook?"

"Because you're a boy and it's the boys turn to cook." Ginny told him.

"We're going to be evenly dividing the cooking load from now on. I can't cook for you forever. Your wife is going to want a husband that can cook." Mrs. Weasley told George as she smiled at him. George groaned loudly and trumped to the kitchen, muttering something about not wanting to get married and that it wasn't worth it.

As the time went on, the noise in the kitchen got louder and louder. Soon, the boys were getting angry at one another.

"Ron! Turn the stove off! This is ridiculous! You just burnt the pancakes!"

"Well, maybe I like them burnt!"

"Well, maybe we don't!"

"I don't care what you like or not!"

"_Turn off the stove, you nutter!"_

_ "Fine! _Geez! Calm your boxer shorts!"

The girls sat on the couch, listening to them yell at one another. They giggled quietly, finding it absolutely hilarious.

"And you'd think they'd have figured out how to get along by now." Mrs. Weasley said to the girls.

"Maybe we should call it quits. It sounds like a war zone in there." Ginny said anxiously as she heard Harry curse loudly from the kitchen, followed by a loud clanging sound.

"Please! Bill 'ardly ever makes breakfast for me, let alone ze entire family. Let zem suffer." Fleur grinned. Hermione smiled at Fleur.

"He'd better get ready to make a lot of food, seeing as you're eating for two now." Ginny commented.

"Yes, how are you, by the way? How far along are you?" Hermione asked her. Fleur smiled brightly, seeming glad that she had someone to talk to about this type of thing.

"Two months. Zee doctor said I 'ave to wait one more month before we find out zee gender of zee baby." Fleur told everyone.

"Why is that?" Ginny asked curiously. Both Hermione and Mrs. Weasley were ready with an answer.

"Because the third month is when the baby's body matures fully." Mrs. Weasley told her.

"Yes, the third month is also the month where the baby gains his motor functions." Hermione added, smiling.

"What are those?" Ginny asked Hermione. She had no clue about anything pregnancy-related.

"It's where the baby gains the ability to move around and kick and such. Apparently it's quite an amazing feeling." Hermione said, sort of longingly. She's always wondered what that might feel like.

Fleur beamed. "I can't wait. I'm sure eet's going to be as amazing as everyone says eet ees going to be."

"How did you find out?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Well, I started noticing how big I was getting! I mean, I'd never gotten to this size ever in my life! And I noticed how much more I was eating and I finally figured it out!" Fleur said, smiling. Hermione arched an eyebrow subtly, looking at Fleur's torso. Hermione didn't understand how she noticed a change in weight, since she was still the stick-thin Fleur that everyone normally knew. As much as Hermione loved Fleur, it was going to be interesting seeing how she reacts to her size in just a couple of months.

Bill finally stumbled out of the kitchen, his hair singed and pancake mix all over his face. "Breakfast is ready." He said, kind of breathlessly. The boys started to each file out of the kitchen, one by one, holding different plates of food. George was holding a huge pile of half burnt pancakes, Harry came out holding a tray of freshly cut fruit and a pitcher of Pumpkin juice that the Weasleys had made themselves, Mr. Weasley came out with some Maple Syrup and a the utensils while Bill grabbed the plates and cups. Ron came out last, holding two plates: one piled with sausages, the other with bacon. He looked at the plates as though he'd snap in two seconds and gobble every last piece of meat down. Hermione giggled at him as the boys set the food on the table and they all dug in, eating as much as they dared, laughing at how frustrated the boys seemed to be in that moment.

After breakfast was finished, they turned to presents. Harry gave each person the presents he'd gotten for them. They tore the package open. Mr. Weasley got a Muggle Compass set that also had a telescope in the kit. He got Mrs. Weasley a book on Muggle baking, since she'd talked about trying to see how difficult it would be to bake something that Muggles ate. He got Bill and Fleur a baby book that had cute moving pictures of babies from all over the world. George got a magic box full of Muggle magic tricks, just for laughs. He got Ginny a gorgeous silver locket that had a picture of the two of them in it, he gave Ron a pair of amazing Quidditch robes. Harry gave Hermione a vile of potion. It was a tiny vile. Hermione recognized it right away: Liquid Luck. Hermione didn't know how he'd managed to find another vile or make one, but she was thrilled.

Bill and Fleur gave out presents next. The entire family got tickets to go see the Quidditch World cup in the spring. Everyone was so excited. Even Hermione was excited to go.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gave something a tad different this year. When everyone opened the packages, they pulled out hooded traveling cloaks, each of their favorite color. Each individual cloak had the person's first letter of their name sewn onto the breast of the cloak. They were so warm.

Ginny gave her parents a rule book of how to be good In-Laws, which everyone found very funny. She gave George a Chudly Cannon's poster with a little figurine that flew around on a broomstick around everyone's heads. She gave Bill and Fleur a hand-knitted baby blanket and she gave Harry an adorable promise bracelet with a Snitch on it. She gave Hermione a very expensive-looking Falcon quill.

George gave each member of the family their favorite best-selling item from _Weasley's Wizard Weezes _and, just to set her off, George gave Hermione the telescope that looked uncannily like the one that punched her all those years ago. She gave him a dry look but thanked him anyway, knowing she could probably use it if a certain girl ever came back to see a certain ginger boy.

Ron was next. He gave Harry a vile of brownish gold liquid. He explained that it was a type of varnish that never came off. It was for Harry's broomstick. He was thrilled. Ron then handed Ginny a pair of Quidditch boots with her name embroidered on them. He gave George a book called '_1001 Jokes no one has ever told before!' _He looked extremely happy with that book. He gave his parents a home-made plaque that said "If Dementors steal souls, Gingers must be their distant cousins." The whole family loved that so much. They decided to put it on their front door. Ron gave Bill and Fleur a cute cradle that he made himself from the wood outback. And then he gave Hermione a CD of their favorite songs that was held inside a gorgeous brightly colored case and had their name's on the front.

Then, at last, Hermione gave hers out. She cleared her throat to explain to them what these were for. "Each of you holds a separate photo album. The photos were from memories I've gathered over the past couple years. There's a new type of technology that allows you to put a memory into the Pensive and then a certain machine develops that memory and plays it back in a photo." She handed the albums out and they all looked through them. "These albums are of our times together over the time I've known you all and you'll notice that they're only a quarter the way full. That's because I hope to make many more memories with all of you." Nobody truthfully knew what to say so they simply hugged her.

The family was ecstatic. They stood, with their presents in hand and gave hugs of thanks to everyone before bringing the presents upstairs. Hermione followed Ron upstairs, holding her presents in her arms. They went to his room and Hermione began sorting the presents as Ron sat down on their bed and started flipping through the album. The first page was of the two of them with their arms around each other. They turned and smiled at the camera, then Ron kissed Hermione's cheek, then she giggled silently and looked back at each other again. The picture continued to move like this. He flipped through the album, looking at all the pictures of them at Hogwarts. Ron smiled when he saw a picture of Ron in Divination class, looking bored. There were little captions under the photos and the caption under this one was "I see you're focusing hard on your schoolwork again, Ronald." Under that caption, there was a small picture of Hermione rolling her brown eyes and smirking.

Ron kept flipping as Hermione came to lay beside him. He stopped at a picture of the two of them at the Yule Ball. Hermione wore her dress and Ron wore that revolting pair of dress robes. Hermione showed only the part of the Yule Ball where they talked briefly before they had the argument about Victor Krum.

"You looked amazing that night." Ron told her. Hermione smiled at him but didn't say anything as he flipped the page again. He was getting to the days where they were rebelling against Umbridge and he kept seeing pictures of himself that he'd never seen before and he soon realized that the reason he'd never seen them before was because they were Hermione's memories. He kept seeing little glances Hermione would give Ron and then how he'd look at her for a second before turning away as well. Under that photo, the caption said "We never knew then how much these moments would mean to us."

Ron flipped forward again. He saw how all of their 6th year was basically not there, due to the fact that most of it was full of Lavender and Ron. The one photo that came out of that year, however, was of Ron in the hospital ward. He muttered something he couldn't hear because the photos were silent (only you could tell he was muttering 'Her…mi...one.." and then Lavender rushing off and Hermione taking his hand, looking rather flabbergasted. Something clicked in Ron's brain.

"…So _that's _what happened!" Ron said. Hermione blushed as he turned the page again. As they went on, the pictures became those of the Burrow. Hogwarts was no longer in the album so far. It was a snapshot of Bill and Fleur's wedding and a couple memories of Ron and herself dancing. Then, they were in Number 12 Grimmould Place. Ron saw that day they woke up with their hands almost touching. The caption under that photo read "'Hand-Holding: A gesture to express inner feelings for another person without telling them verbally.' And a gesture I only want to do with you."

After Ron finished admiring that picture and caption, he moved on. The next few pages of the album were of their days in the tent, searching for Horcruxes. There were a couple pictures of him looking deathly sick with the arm sling on that she'd made him. There was one picture of him when he was leaving. "I felt like I couldn't breathe. I thought that was the end." Read the caption. Ron continued on to see a picture of the day he came back and of him talking about his encounter with the Deluminator Dumbledore had given him and how it lead him back to her. "And then I was whole again and all was well." The caption said.

The next photos were of them escaping Malfoy Manor, and then they were back at Hogwarts. Ron saw pictures of them fighting and of them dodging spells. When he flipped to the next page again, he saw an explosive amount of color. He saw the picture in the middle of what looked like moving fireworks on the album page. It was of their first kiss. Ron felt another smile creep up his face as he watched Hermione cascade the Basilisk fangs from her arms and run at him, then kiss him hard on the lips. Ron saw himself throw away the fangs and broomsticks he was holding and lifted Hermione off her feet, kissing her back passionately. The caption under that photo only said "_FINALLY!_" in large uppercase letters. Ron chuckled and kissed Hermione's cheek. The album continued and the photos got more recent. There were pictures of Hermione before she was captured, sitting with Ron, just talking and cuddling. It showed the day that Hermione and Ron first made love, as well, but it wasn't graphic. It was just the kissing and there was a memory of them dancing to the song on the radio. "Perfection" was all the caption said.

The imprisonment didn't show at all in this album. It just skipped to the day she woke up at the Burrow, confessing her love again for Ron and then when she went downstairs and was welcomed home.

On the very last page of the album that was filled with pictures, there was one last memory. It was the one of last night at the engagement party. It showed the entire engagement and the caption under the last picture of Hermione kissing Ron and then trying on her ring said "I can't wait to start my life with you."

Ron didn't really know what to say. He turned to look at Hermione, shutting the album. He took her face in his hands and kissed her passionately, portraying his love through his actions. Hermione went warm inside as she kissed back, rolling over so she was on top of him, finally ready to share herself with Ron again. And, a couple minutes later, that's exactly what she did.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter twenty-seven: Planning

About a week after Christmas holidays, the Burrow was buzzing with excitement for the wedding. On a chilly winter's afternoon, Hermione, Ginny, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Harry and Ron sat down at the large kitchen table with a bunch of parchment, quills and bottles of ink. They were starting to plan the weddings.

"Before we start, Ginny and I would like to put an idea out for you to consider." Hermione said. When Ginny gave her a reassuring look, Hermione cleared her throat and spoke again. "What if we had a double wedding?" Hermione asked. It was quiet for a moment before there were reactions. Harry grinned wildly, Ron's eyes were lighting up, Mr. Weasley was smiling and you could almost see the wheels turning in Mrs. Weasley's brain as she thought about all the amazing things you could do in a double wedding.

"I love the idea." Harry told everyone, still smiling brightly.

"Same." Ron smiled. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley also smiled and nodded at each other.

"It'll be perfect!" Mrs. Weasley said enthusiastically.

"Alright, first thing's first! When should the weddings be?" Asked Mrs. Weasley excitedly, looking around at everyone. Hermione looked over at Ron, waiting for what he had to say, but Ginny beat him to it.

"Well, I always wanted a spring wedding." Ginny smiled, holding Harry's hand on the table as he grinned and nodded. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"That sounds like an amazing idea! What do you think, boys?" Hermione asked, smiling.

"Whatever you guys want, that's what we'll do. It's your wedding day." Harry told them.

"Yeah. It's up to you." Ron said, smiling. Mrs. Weasley beamed and scribbled something on the parchment.

"Wonderful! So, we want a spring wedding! What month should we have it in?"

"April?" Hermione suggested. "It's such a pretty month."

"Yes, very pretty!" Ginny said enthusiastically. "It'll be stunning when we take pictures!"

"So is it settled? We're going to have the wedding in April?" Mr. Weasley asked. All four of them nodded and Mrs. Weasley scribbled down the month on the parchment as well.

"Now, before we look at the day of the wedding, we have to figure out where we're going to have it. Just in case we have to book a day in April for the place." Mrs. Weasley told them.

"Well, we could have it here again." Ron suggested. Both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked at their son with wide eyes. You could see the panic in Mrs. Weasley's eyes.

"Uh, no," Ginny said quickly, also seeing her mum's panic. "It's too much work for everyone."

"I agree." Said Mrs. Weasley.

"Me too." Said Mr. Weasley.

"Me three." Said Hermione, remembering how frantically Mrs. Weasley was running around when Bill and Fleur were married.

"Okay, well, where should we have it if we aren't here?" Mr. Weasley asked quickly. Everyone thought for a moment before Hermione answered.

"How about Hogwarts?" she thought aloud. Everyone looked at her, sort of surprised. After considering it, everyone seemed to think it was a great idea.

"It'll be like getting married at home." Harry said warmly. Everyone smiled brightly.

"Alright! We'll have to check with Minerva before we plan anything further in terms of dates. How about the venue?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"What's a venue?" Ron inquired, looking confused.

"It's where you want to get married, silly." Ginny said, grinning at his brother's lack of knowledge. As soon as that fact was clarified, Harry and Ron immediately yelled where they wanted to be married at the same time.

"The Quidditch Pitch!" they both grinned excitedly. Ginny looked like she was all for it but Hermione hesitated, feeling kind of squeamish with that idea.

"That's a great idea! I love it!" Ginny said, beaming. "We could hang streamers off the Quidditch rings! It'll be awesome!"

"What do you think Hermione, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked her, seeing her eyes. Hermione fidgeted as all eyes turned to her.

"Well, I like the idea," Hermione said quickly, trying to make sure she didn't look as frantic as she felt.

"Uh oh, I feel a "but" coming on." Ron said playfully, nudging Harry, who grinned.

"No, no, of course not! I think it's a good idea." Hermione recovered, smiling at them.

"We know you don't like Quidditch all that much, Hermione. Do you want to have it somewhere else?" Ginny asked. The boys both gave her pleading looks that made them look desperate for their lives. Hermione sighed.

"No, I don't. I'd love to have it on the Quidditch Pitch. I just…don't want to fly. That's all." Hermione said nervously. They all gave compassionate looks.

"Don't worry, Hermione. We won't have any flying-,"

"Well, Harry and I were also talking," Ron said, giving Harry a look. "We kind of wanted to…well, we wanted to make an exit after we were married." Ron said hesitantly. Hermione looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"What kind of an exit, Ronald?" Hermione asked. Ron shrunk slightly at the sound of his name.

"W-Well…an exit in…mid-air?" Ron said quietly. Hermione's eyes widened. "We wanted to fly off with you guys on brooms through the Quidditch rings and fly off." Ron added tentatively.

"Ron, you see the look Hermione's giving you?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah."

"That would be your cue to shut your trap." Ginny informed him. Harry grinned.

"Look, if that's what you want, I'm sure I can practise. I mean, it can't be that hard, can it?" Hermione said nervously. Ron quickly nodded along with Harry while Ginny hid the fact that she was secretly rolling her eyes behind her hand.

"Well, we'll discuss it as we go along. What else do we need to figure out?" Mr. Weasley inquired.

"Well, there's the Bride's maids for both girls, the Best men for both boys, there's the food, the decoration, the color scheme-," Mrs. Weasley listed off. Ron felt like his collar had tightened a little too much around his throat. Ginny noticed the anxiety.

"Mum, how about we focus on the people we should invite first. We'll figure out all of that in a minute." Ginny gestured subtly to the boys, who looked relieved. Mrs. Weasley understood and nodded.

"Alright. Well, we have to invite our relatives, of course. Don't worry, Hermione dear, Muriel will be held at bay, if she's invited at all," Mrs. Weasley assured her, which greatly eased Hermione's mind. "Who would you like to invite, Harry?" she asked. Harry thought about that for a moment.

"Well, I'd want mostly all the Hogwarts professors there and I'd love to have some of the people in our year there as well. I don't really have any relatives I can invite, other than the Dursleys… but I'm not sure they'll want to come. I'll invite them, though." Harry told them. Mrs. Weasley nodded.

"Very well! Hermione, who would you want to invite, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked her.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure. I don't have a very large family. They're all Muggle Born. I have an Aunt and…" She started to think about her parents. Then, suddenly something clicked in her brain: her father wouldn't be able to walk her down the aisle. Hermione suddenly felt like everything was going downhill. She felt like she couldn't breathe.

"Well, of course you have to bring your mother and father, dear. They deserve to see their daughter be married. We haven't hardly met them!" Mrs. Weasley said. Hermione swallowed heavily, feeling a horrible sinking feeling in her gut. She had to tell them.

"…There's something I didn't tell you…when I came back from the Ministry," Hermione started. Everyone listened intently. Hermione took a deep breath to keep calm. "…I found out some news while I was there. Apparently, Adolf managed to find my parent's whereabouts and…he…" she felt hot tears form in the back of her eyes. "…He killed them."

The whole room was silent. It was a heavy silence, not one that someone would want to stay too long in. Hermione was the first to speak again, knowing they couldn't say anything until she finished.

"I know that this complicates things for the wedding," Hermione said, trying her best to control her emotions as they flared up. "And I'm sorry for that. I just…" She got choked up. "…I never thought that I'd have to walk down the aisle by myself." Everyone exchanged looks and Mr. Weasley immediately countered that.

"You won't have to walk down the aisle alone, Hermione. You can walk down the aisle with me." He told her. Hermione was kind of shocked.

"No. Mr. Weasley, that's a moment that you and Ginny need to share. I can't-,"

"Hermione, you're already part of the family. We can't let you walk down the aisle alone." Ginny said quickly. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley both nodded their heads.

"Yes, dear. You deserve to be walked down the aisle as much as anyone else does." Mrs. Weasley added. Hermione didn't know what to say.

"You're like a daughter to me, anyways. You won't be left behind. I promise you that." Mr. Weasley vowed. Hermione felt her throat close up. She just nodded quietly. She couldn't believe they were actually doing this for her. It was insane.

"…Thank you, Mr. Weasley. You have no idea how much this means to me." Hermione told him quietly, her voice breaking. Mr. Weasley gave a charming smile, patted her on the arm and Hermione smiled back, getting a feeling that this was going to be an amazing wedding after all.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter twenty-eight: Suspicions

Several months passed. There was an excitement in the air that Hermione had never felt before. It was now February and the snow was melting, revealing little patches of green grass on the ground. Things seemed to be moving along so quickly. The wedding was in two months. The girls were frantically trying to get every single figured out as quickly as they possibly could and the boys were trying their hardest to give their input while still keeping a distance from the girls. They kept finding things to do to keep themselves occupied. Even Ron was keeping himself busy. For the last three months, he'd been at _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, _working every day from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm. He and George disappeared in the morning and didn't come back until their shift was over. Ron seemed to enjoy it plenty, though and even though Hermione got lonely on the days when she wasn't planning the wedding, she was glad he had the work. When he did talk to her, he told her how much money he was getting and he told her that after the wedding, they'd move out of the house and get a place of their own out in the country. Hermione was thrilled with that idea.

Harry was completing his schooling. McGonagall put him in a type of program that would allow him to be done his seventh year at Hogwarts in record time. He would be finished before the wedding. It was his plan that, once he and Ginny were married, he'd move out, along with Ginny and find a house, then he'd apply to be an Auror. He still wanted to be an Auror, even though the Ministry hadn't stopped the Muggle-Born Registration commission, nor had they stopped business because of it. People could still apply and get jobs at the Ministry. Adolf was making it look like everything was still normal in the Wizarding world when, really, it wasn't. As much as it infuriated Harry, he just wanted to complete his Auror training so he could get a job and try to get by on his own with Ginny by his side.

Hermione didn't know what she wanted to do after Hogwarts. She still had her last year to finish but she didn't know whether she should do anything in the Wizarding world. She still didn't think she was a witch. Every time she looked at her wand, she felt like she should snap it in half. She didn't even know whether she was allowed to do magic anymore. She kept avoiding any kind of situation that could force her to use magic. She hadn't talked about it with anyone and no one asked her about it. No one brought up that day when Hermione broke down and called herself a Muggle. They seemed to try and forget it but Hermione felt as though they were still hesitant to mention anything to do with magic when Hermione was in the room.

The wedding was what was keeping everyone on their toes. They'd figured out mostly everything to do with the service itself. The wedding was to be held at Hogwarts, on the Quidditch pitch. Hermione and Ginny each chose bridesmaids, knowing that they'd be each other's Maids of Honor. They chose Luna, Fleur, Angelina Johnston and Katie Bell. The Groomsmen the boys chose were Neville, George, Bill, Charlie. Yesterday, Ron and Harry took the boys out to get their dress robes for the wedding. The wedding colors were Gryffindor's colors, Red and Gold. Even though people had a lot to say about this and how they weren't spring colors that went with the spring wedding theme, they thought they had to pay tribute to their house. It wasn't stark colors either. They were a lighter, more pretty shade of red and gold.

The next day, the girls would be going to pick their wedding dresses. Hermione was so excited to do this. They were getting their dresses in a vintage bridal shop. It was the exact same shop that Mrs. Weasley got her wedding gown. From the pictures Mrs. Weasley had shown her, the dresses all looked absolutely gorgeous.

After the wedding, they would move into the Great Hall for the meal and, when everyone was finished, it would be transformed into a beautiful ballroom, not unlike the style of the Yule Ball. They would dance for hours, people could greet them with congratulations and then the two newlywed couples would take off to their honeymoon destination.

Ginny and Harry were going to Romania for their honeymoon. They didn't want anything too extravagant so they chose to have their honeymoon in a beautiful bout of countryside.

Hermione, however, didn't know where Ron and herself were going for their honeymoon. It was all a mystery to her. Ron assured her she'd love it and that when she got there, it would be amazing. Hermione trusted Ron but she couldn't help feeling that he would book something along the lines of an Irish townhouse for their honeymoon suite. She decided to let him surprise her but secretly prayed that he knew what exactly he was doing.

On a whole, the wedding seemed all in order. They even picked the minister that was going to do the service. Harry told everyone that the man who married Bill and Fleur and did Dumbledore's funeral service was not going to be part of his wedding. In his words he was going to have none of his "Nitwit, blubber and tweak" nonsense at his wedding. So they chose to have another man with more of an understanding of what they wanted in the ceremony. Everyone seemed as happy as they possibly could be. That was, everyone except Hermione.

As much as Hermione tried to enjoy these last days of being a Granger, she couldn't help but think of how happy her parents would have been to see their only daughter married, how excited her mum would be, and how incredibly joyful and proud her father would look as he walked her down the aisle. She felt like she'd let them down and abandoned them, leaving them to die with the ignorance her magic had left on them. She could scarcely imagine the fear on her parent's face as they were being killed by Adolf's men. How frightened they must have been, thinking that they were but innocent people who just wanted to enjoy life in the sandy region of the Outback. To them, they knew nothing of the daughter that was not of noble blood in the Wizarding world. They knew nothing of the daughter who tried so hard to save them from Voldemort but couldn't foresee the future and protect them from that. How could she even begin to forgive herself for that? Hermione didn't think she could. As much as she knew they were in a better place now, Hermione could help but think that they deserved, more than her, to live a long and happy life with the people that love them.

On top of that, Hermione missed Ron terribly. She didn't want to be spending all this time alone with her thoughts. She just wanted Ron. He was her one crutch that she could lean on.

One chilly February afternoon, Hermione waited up in the living room for George and Ron to come home from work. She was perched on the couch, drinking some Butterbeer to keep herself warm and she listened to an old record on the Weasley's record player, just for fun. She heard a crack as someone Apperated right to their front door. There was a cold gust of wind and the door closed again. Hermione saw George and Ron come in, their ginger hair windswept as they took off their boots and coats. George was the first to notice Hermione. A grin lit his face.

"Hey Mione!" George greeted. "How's it going?"

"Good," Hermione said with a smile as Ron turned to look at her. His tired eyes immediately looked more awake. Ron smiled at her as he walked over. "How was your day?"

"Fantastic! The new fireworks are selling like hotcakes!" George said enthusiastically, rubbing his hands together. Hermione beamed.

"That's awesome, George! Oh, speaking of fireworks, your mother wants to talk to you about fireworks for the wedding. She's asleep now, but you can talk to her tomorrow morning before you go to work." Hermione said to him. George nodded, looking so excited.

"Alright!" George saw how Ron was looking at Hermione and he grinned slyly. "Well, I'll leave you two lovebirds to it. Be careful though. Save some energy for the honeymoon." He winked and skillfully dodged Ron's hand, which had almost come in contact with his head. "Goodnight!" he darted upstairs, chuckling like a maniac as Hermione blushed. Ron turned to her and gave her a huge smile and hugged her close.

"Sorry about him. He doesn't know when something isn't funny anymore." Ron said as he held her. Hermione snuggled into his chest as she wound her arms around his neck.

"It's fine. It's George." She said, as though that would vouch for his behaviour. Ron chuckled quietly.

"True say." Ron agreed.

"How was your day?" Hermione asked with interest. Ron shrugged and pulled back to kiss her lips quickly.

"It was…well, it was tiring. This boy ate a Puking pastel and ended up puking all over my shoes, Adalie kept badgering on about some Quidditch thing where she wanted me to go with her and then this bloke set my pants on fire with a fire cracker-,"

"Whoa, whoa, back the truck up," Hermione said quickly. She hoped she heard the name wrong. Please, let it not be that name.

"To which part? The fiery pants?"

"No." Hermione said quickly.

"The puking child?"

"No, Ronald." Hermione snapped.

"Oh. The Adalie thing? How she wanted me to come to a Quidditch game with her?" Ron asked. Hermione's heart sank. She tried to keep her face masked as she nodded.

"Yes. That." Hermione said with an edge to her tone. Ron felt like he'd struck awkwardness again and cursed internally.

"What about it?"

"…So, you're saying that Adalie was at the shop today then?" Hermione asked. Ron looked confused.

"…No? She works there. Didn't I tell you? She sent in her application around the same time I did. She's been working there for three months." Ron told her, totally not seeing the panic in the back of her eyes. Hermione felt as though she might as well have set a dumbfounded jinx on herself. She wasn't responding any better than if she had.

"…You never told me that." Hermione stated.

"Are you sure? I was sure I told you that-,"

"Oh, trust me. I would have remembered that one." Hermione said with a sour tint in her voice. Ron decided to back off a bit as she carried on. "So, what did you tell her?" she asked him intently. Ron shrugged, getting a little uncomfortable on this subject. He didn't know why. Maybe it was the fact that Hermione was standing with squared shoulders, as though she was bracing herself to receive news of someone's death, or maybe the fact that her gaze was so intense that he found it hard to meet her eyes.

"Well, I just said that I didn't have any interest in it. I told her I was busy with the wedding." Ron said. Not the answer Hermione was looking for.

"How did she react to that?" Hermione asked.

"She just stared at me and said I was a push-over." Ron said quietly. Hermione knew he was holding something back.

"And?" she prompted. Ron scratched the back of his neck.

"…She said you were too "over-protective"." He mumbled. Hermione felt like stabbing herself in the face with a sharp knife.

"…She did, did she? Do you think I'm being over-protective?" Hermione asked. Ron looked at her and shrugged sheepishly. "Come on, Ron, tell the truth. Am I being to over-protective of you?"

Ron swallowed quietly and tried to word his sentence properly. "I think that you're being as protective as you should be but… I sometimes wish you'd just trust me," Ron said in a small voice. "I won't do anything you'll get mad at me for. Adalie is a college, nothing else. Alright?" Ron clarified. Hermione felt a little bit better.

"Well, okay." She accepted. Ron gave her a charming smile and kissed her lips gently.

"You want to come up to bed with me now?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded silently, forcing a smile. As Ron led her upstairs to their bedroom, Hermione couldn't help but think about Adalie and her sick, twisted way of informing her that no, she wasn't going to give up on Ron. She never would. That thought made Hermione almost cringe in horror. She'd just have to see how long Ron could hold out. She just had to wait two more months. Two more months and Adalie didn't dare come near Ron. Two more months and she'd be Hermione Jean Weasley.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter twenty nine: Shopping and shocking discoveries

The next day, Hermione and Ginny, along with Mrs. Weasley, Luna, Angelina, Katie and Fleur went to the vintage bridal shop where Mrs. Weasley got her wedding dress. They all decided that they were going to look at bridesmaids dresses first and save the wedding dresses for another day.

The bell tinkered overhead as the group of gabbing girls made their way into the dress shop. It was very small and the rooms were angular. It reminded Hermione of Olivander's wand shop in a way, because there were many dresses hung up on hangers all over the room. It was in no way unorganized or cluttered, but there was definitely a vast variety of different dresses. The girls looked around as Mrs. Weasley peaked behind the counter, which was at the very front of the shop.

"Hello?" she called out, craning her neck to see whether she could see anyone in the shop. Only silence answered her. Ginny decided to just start looking around anyway. She immediately saw a gorgeous purple dress with silver flowers along the front of it. Ginny went over, her hand reaching out to touch it. As soon as her fingers touched the fine fabric, a loud gasp came from in the shadows of the room. Ginny immediately snatched her hand back and, as she did so, it knocked over a podium and glass case, in which an expensive-looking tiara was being held in. Hermione leaped forward and caught the tiara but the glass case fell and shattered on hardwood floor, sending shards of sharp glass everywhere. Hermione felt as though her heart stopped in her chest. She turned to look around for what made the gasping sound and felt the tiara being snatched away from her roughly. She looked down and a very tiny, very wrinkly old lady with thick spectacles, short tufty white hair, a tiny mouth and big, harsh blue eyes yanked the tiara away from Hermione. She was wearing a very loosely-fitted brown dress with a number of ugly shalls and clunky bracelets. She looked as though she could drop dead of a heart attack at any moment and her face was so ravaged and filled with rage that she looked like her wrinkly face was convulsing. Hermione looked at the lady with apologetic eyes.

"We're so sorry-,"

"Do you know, young wench, how much this tiara costs?" the old lady snarled. Her voice was grumbly and very annoying to listen to. It was so annoying that Hermione felt the hairs on her arms stand up in surprise. It took her a moment to recover and she was glad to see Ginny was reacting the same way to this woman.

"Um, n-no, I don't, but-,"

"It costs more than you're life's savings and your family's life savings put together. Only the highest of individuals pay for this type of merchandise." The lady hissed, stroking the tiara with her knobby, arthritic-filled fingers. "And do you know how much I would have made you pay for it if you had broken it?" She asked Hermione, looking at her through her big, thick spectacles.

"Uh, well, I expect-,"

"The same amount that I would any other buyer." The old lady told her. Hermione looked at them awkwardly and then down at her hands. The lady looked around the shop. "Everything in this shop is exquisitely unique and has a reason for every galleon you spend," she traveled over to a beautiful dark green dress slip that looked rough in texture. "This cover is made from the finest dragon skin in the history of Romanian Swedish short-snouts," she stroked the fabric and then moved her thick fingers along a stunning pair of crystal heals. "These shoes are made from the finest clear crystal in all the world," she came to a halt in the middle of the room and touched the tiara in her hands. "And this tiara was worn by the founder of the Beuxbattons academy of Magic herself. It was perched on top of her very head and worn by her for years. No one has touched it for centuries and now, in one single slip, I am now holding an antique that is worth twice as more as your wretched soul would cost." The lady snarled at Hermione. Hermione gulped nervously as Ginny looked at the crazy lady with fiery eyes.

"Then you should be thanking her." Ginny said, her tone hostile. The lady turned to look at Ginny with wild eyes.

"Why should I thank her for putting me in such a horrible situation?" The lady sneered.

"How is it horrible? You're holding an old tiara. The only horrible factor I see in this situation is that you might die of the inhalation of dust that's collected on it." Ginny said sharply. The lady's eye twitched dangerously.

"You don't know the half of it, you soulless girl!" She shot back.

"Excuse me, but you cannot talk to my daughter in such a rude manner!" Mrs. Weasley stepped in. The lady looked at the plumpness of Mrs. Weasley's body before answering.

"You dare talk to me in such a manner in my own shop?!" the lady asked shrilly. Ginny stepped forward, her shoes crunching on the glass she was stepping on. She stared wildly at the woman.

"Do you know who we are, lady?" Ginny asked loudly.

"A treacherous young lot who've come to destroy my hard endowed labour!" she spat back. Hermione quickly stepped in between them, not liking the unhealthy grey color that the lady was turning.

"Everyone just calm down, alright?! We don't need to fight. We came here to buy bridesmaids dresses." Hermione told the old lady. Her jowls quivered as she set her eyes on her once again.

"Bridesmaids dresses?" she asked again, as though she hadn't heard her correctly. When Hermione nodded, the old lady burst out laughing, her wheezy cackles filling the room. As much as it scared Hermione to even listen to such a sound, she was glad the lady had calmed down a little. "Pfft! You can't afford my dresses!" the lady told them.

"Now just wait one minute!" Ginny said. "How do you know she can't afford your dresses?"

The lady looked at Ginny as though she was the thickest person she'd ever seen. The lady grabbed a fistful of Hermione's shirt. Hermione gasped as she yanked her towards her. She pointed to the fabric of her shirt.

"This shirt cost less than my toothbrush does: A horrible bout of material. Muggles use it. They think it's the best thing in the world when really, it's the most useless fabric ever created! Thin cotton!" The lady dropped her shirt and slapped Hermione's thigh. It stung painfully and she quickly recoiled, shocked at her ferocity. "Another Muggle material! Blue jeans! Why wear jeans when you can wear stunning robes or luxurious dresses? And, oh, the worst!" she knelt down and pointed to Hermione's shoes, which were a comfortable, stretchy black flats. "What horrendous footwear! What a monstrosity! Such horribly comfortable material! Shoes weren't made to be comfortable! They were made to hurt and look good while you suffer!" the lady jeered. Hermione recoiled again as she stood up. "If you were of a higher class, you would wear something nicer than this to my shop." The lady explained. Mrs. Weasley had had enough of this.

"Where's Pricilla? I called her two months ago to book time to pick out dresses." Mrs. Weasley told the old lady. The lady took out her wand and swooshed it to clean up the glass, and the glass case fixed itself. The podium stood upright and she pushed past Ginny and placed the tiara on it, then the glass case placed itself over top of the tiara.

"Pricilla was taken." The lady said.

"Taken?" Ginny said.

"Yes. Taken. By the Ministry." The lady told them starkly. Hermione's face drained of color.

"She was a Muggle-Born?" Luna asked, making the presence of the four girls known for the first time. The lady looked back at them with her shifty eyes.

"Yes. She was a _Muggle-Born,"_ The lady scorned. "a good riddance at that. But now I have to take over this business for her forever."

"Why forever?" Ginny asked as if she was pressuring her to go any further. The lady gave her a look.

"I think you know why. Only the naïve say that Muggle-Borns come back from a trial at the Ministry." She said quickly.

"But anything is possible." Ginny countered.

"You're ignorant of this situation, little girl. You know not of what Muggle-Borns go through in there." The lady snarled. Hermione stepped forward and quickly touched Ginny's arm to remind her where she was. She saw Ginny's eye color shift into a darker shade and Hermione immediately grabbed her arm to make sure she didn't do anything drastic. Ginny noticed Hermione and stepped back a bit. Hermione looked at the woman with cold eyes.

"Believe me when I say that the situation you speak of has effected all of us." Hermione said. The lady immediately glanced down at Hermione's hand and saw the words carved into her skin. Hermione saw her throat swallow hard before she looked at Hermione again.

"…Why have you come here?" she asked Hermione, looking very scared. She'd recognized Hermione from the papers. She recognized that carving on her forearm and hand. She knew exactly who this was. She was known now as the Girl who Escaped. The one girl who managed to escape the Ministry.

"I told you already. We've come to pick out bridesmaids dresses for me and my friend's wedding," Hermione said, gesturing to Ginny. "Is that a problem?"

"…No, not at all," the lady was slowly backed up, putting as much distance as she could between herself and Hermione. "I'm Edna. If you have any requests, just ask." The lady, Edna, quickly backed up and turned into the shadows of another room. There was a moment where everyone just listened to the silence of the room.

"…So, are we going to choose dresses or not?" Hermione said quickly, trying to lighten the mood. Everyone gave a tiny sigh of relief and they began choosing bridesmaids dresses.

It took a while for everyone to get into the swing of things. Everyone picked a dress that they liked in the color schemes that they'd chosen and tried them on. By the time everyone had gotten into their dresses, everything seemed to be going downhill. Angelina had picked a horrendous yellow dress that she said was "the only thing she could find in gold", Katie was standing there, asking whether the blue dress she was trying on seemed too big on her while Fleur was having a different problem. She tried fitting into a zero-sized dress and she realized that being four months pregnant was making her bigger than she'd expected. She tried her best to squeeze into the dress but just ended up cursing rapidly in fluid French. Luna was the only one who seemed to be having a good time trying on dresses and she definitely had the best dress on. It was a gorgeous light shade of red, almost a light rosy color with a gorgeous blue sash around the waist. The skirt was a light, flowing material that just screamed "springtime" and it had little dainty straps that looked like roses holding the dress up. It was perfect, except for one thing.

"Um, excuse me Ms. Edna?" Hermione called, looking at Luna's dress with interest, going over. Edna poked her head out of the curtain she seemed to be hiding behind, which separated the room they were standing in from another room of the shop. She walked forwards, keeping her eyes on Hermione the whole time as though she might strike or turn and kill her.

"Yes, miss?" she said quickly. Hermione gently touched the material on Luna's dress, her eyes following her fingers.

"Do you have this dress with a different colored sash around the middle?" Hermione asked, looking over at the woman as she touched Luna's waist where the blue material was. The lady nodded.

"Yes I do. What color material were you thinking?" she asked.

"Gold." Hermione answered promptly. Edna thought for a moment and then turned and vanished behind the curtain again. A few moments later, she came back with exactly what Hermione was looking for: the same red dress but with a beautiful light golden color sash that went across the waist. Hermione's spirits immediately lifted when she saw the dress. It was beautiful.

"…That's it." Mrs. Weasley and Hermione said at the exact same time. They looked at one another and smiled brightly.

"This is what you're looking for?" Edna asked as the other girls crowded around the dress for a better look.

"Yes. This is exactly what we're looking for," Hermione said excitedly. "How much is it?"

Edna hesitated, pushing her thick glasses up her narrow nose. "200 Galleons." She told Hermione. Hermione's heart sunk into her feet.

"…Two hundred Galleons?" Hermione repeated, hoping she didn't hear her right. Edna nodded cautiously.

"Yes. Each." She added. Hermione swallowed. She was only ready to pay 100 Galleons for the dresses. She didn't know what to do, really. That's when Ginny stepped forward.

"Alright. We'll pay for them now." Ginny said, taking out her wallet, which was in the purse she bought. Edna looked at her wallet with her big eyes. She went over to the cash register and quickly opened the till. Ginny started taking out Galleon after Galleon. Hermione quickly stepped forward and took her hand, stopping her.

"Ginny, you can't do this. It's too much." Hermione told her. Ginny pulled her hand away.

"It's my wedding too, Hermione. I should have to pay for these dresses just as much as you do." Ginny said. Hermione shook her head.

"This is your house fund." Hermione reminded Ginny. They stood there in weighted silence for a moment, staring each other down before Edna cleared her throat loudly.

"Er, what if I offer you a deal?" she said. Both girls turned to look at her with curious eyes. "What if I pull the price down to 100 Galleons for the lot of 'em? Knowing your…circumstance, I understand that you must be low on money at the present time." Edna said. Hermione felt surprise leak onto her face but she quickly recovered as Ginny looked at her.

"That…that would be amazing, thank you Ms. Edna." Hermione said, extremely shocked. Edna nodded quietly in recognition as she reopened the till with their new amount owed. Hermione turned to Ginny.

"I got it." She opened her wallet. Ginny slapped her hand.

"No way. I'll pay." Ginny said, reopening her own wallet. Hermione quickly glared her down.

"Alright, fine. How about we each pay 50 Galleons: Compromise." Hermione offered. Ginny weighed that and nodded.

"Deal." Both girls took out 50 Galleons and paid for the four dresses. Edna closed the register and looked at the girls as they came back, fully dressed and stood behind Ginny and Hermione with Mrs. Weasley right behind them.

"Well, I'll have the dresses sent to you within the next couple weeks," Edna said quickly. The girls smiled brightly and thanked her once again. They all left but Edna called out to Hermione one more time. "Oh, miss!" Hermione turned back with a smile on her face. Edna extracted a piece of parchment from a drawer and took the quill out of an ink bottle that laid on her desk. "Would you like to sign a returning contract? Just in case you'd like to return your dresses in the near future?" Edna asked her. Hermione looked at her curiously.

"No, I'm okay, thank you. We've made the decision." She turned to leave again but Edna kept on speaking.

"Well, that's not what I was worrying about." Edna said. Hermione turned around slowly.

"Then what are you worrying about?" she asked. Edna hesitated for a moment but continued in a hushed tone.

"…Ever since you walked in here today, I've noticed something. There's a fire in the back of your eyes, a fire that I've only seen on one type of woman's face." Edna told her. Hermione suddenly felt naked, as though all of her layers were being peeled off by this woman standing in front of her.

"What kind of woman would that be?" Hermione asked her. Edna looked directly into her eyes.

"…A scared woman. A scared woman who is losing something or, should I say, _someone_ that she desperately wants to keep. You have the eyes of a woman who's rushing into things because she's afraid-,"

"Afraid of what?" Hermione asked sharply. That last statement hit a nerve.

"Afraid of being alone." Edna finished. Hermione couldn't help but glare at this old woman.

"Well, that's not your problem to deal with. And what does that have to do with signing a returning policy?" Hermione snapped.

"I've seen it many times, Miss, where people have spent large sums of money on dresses, rings and other valuables that they intend to try and tie down a man with and then something happens. I just want to ensure that, if need be, you get your money back and I get my dresses back safe and sound." Edna said quickly, looking at her. Hermione felt that fire in her chest again. As Edna offered the contract and quill out to her once again, Hermione backed away, as though she was holding a venomous snake. She looked at the quill and paper with harsh, burning eyes.

"I will respectfully decline your request, Ms. Edna. Thank you for your time." Hermione said, trying to control her voice as it wavered with anger. Edna gave her one sad look before putting the quill and paper down. Hermione looked at her one last time before she turned and walked swiftly out of the shop.

The girls were waiting outside, standing on the snow-covered pavement. It had snowed once again while they were inside. Hermione didn't realize it but it was already 3:00. In five minutes, Ron would be on his break. As Hermione joined the girl's conversation, she realized they were talking to her.

"Would you like to go to Hogsmead and get a Butterbeer? We want to go celebrate the findings of our beautiful dresses!" Angelina said excitedly. Hermione looked at them all and forced a smile.

"I'd love to but I have to go see Ron for a minute. How about I meet you there in a couple of minutes?" Hermione asked. The girls looked confused but nodded. They each bid Hermione goodbye and headed down the street towards the little café. Hermione looked down at her coat, which she had put on and reached in her pocket. She pulled out her wand. She stared at it for a moment before she stowed it back in her pocket and made up her mind. She was just going to see Ron at work. That was all. If she didn't, she wouldn't stop thinking about it for the rest of the day. She had to see that he was 100% committed to this and that Adalie was keeping a fair distance from him. This would be a one-time deal. Seeing as Hermione hadn't Apperated or tried Apperating anywhere since she was captured, she prayed she wouldn't get splinched. She took a deep breath and quickly turned on the spot, Disapperating, leaving the only trace she was there the swirling snow she'd disrupted from under her feet.

With a whoosh, Hermione was standing outside of _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes._ She stared at the brightly-colored shop and heard the sounds of laughter and large firecrackers whizzing around the place. She saw little kids ran out with a bag full of goodies, giggling. Their mother came out a second later and called for them to slow down and watch where they were running. Hermione went up swiftly to the doors and opened them. It was as crowded as she remembered since she was last there. People were everywhere, trying out new tricks and looking around for their old favorites. Hermione even saw the basin of the little bottles of Love Potions in one corner, which the young teenage girls were eyeing with interest. Hermione smiled as she pushed past people, saying excuse me as she did so. She looked around for any sign of red hair but was unsuccessful for a while she made her way through the store. She finally found who she was looking for. She craned her neck to see George standing on a very tall ladder, stalking a shelf full of the little Decoy machines.

"Hey George!" Hermione called, smiling up at him. George quickly looked down at her and grinned brightly.

"Hey Hermione! How'd the dress shopping go?" George called down.

"It went well, thank you," Hermione beamed. "I just came to see Ron. Is he on his break yet?"

"He should be getting on it right now if I'm not mistaken, yeah." George answered.

"Any idea where he might be?" Hermione inquired. George nodded.

"I sent him to get me a mop from the broom cupboard downstairs about fifteen minutes ago. He still hasn't come back up yet. I'm getting kind of worried he might've tripped over his own feet and fallen or something." George said with mock anxiety. Hermione, although the circumstances were unlikely, couldn't help but feel a bit concerned. And then it hit her. She hadn't seen Adalie at all since she entered the shop. Maybe her brain was playing tricks on her but she really hoped her logical mind was going to be wrong.

Hermione quickly gave George another smile. "Thanks George! I'll see you at home then." George waved goodbye and turned back to his work. Hermione turned and made her way downstairs, through the bustling crowd of people. She looked at the registers to see if Adalie was there but she wasn't. Hermione felt immediately more rushed. She looked around for the cupboard that George told her about and, after a couple minutes, she found it. As she started walking towards the door of the cupboard, she felt her heart start to race. Maybe she was right. Maybe something was happening in there. Hermione braced herself as she went up to the closed door. She put her hand on the doorknob and opened the door. Hermione gasped. Her biggest fear had been made into flesh, and a lot of flesh there was. The picture before her was something that Hermione knew that she would never forget for as long as she lived.

Adalie was shirtless. She was only wearing her bra and black tights. There was a table in the cupboard that held a whole bunch of cleaning equipment on it. That equipment was now scattered on the floor, probably because someone had swiped it off the table to make more room for bodies.

Ron was shirtless. He was half laying, half propped up against the shelf of the cupboard. Adalie was straddling him with her perfectly long, thin, pale legs and her torso was rubbing against his quickly. Adalie's lips were on Ron's lips, working in ways that not even Hermione herself knew how to maneuver. She had her hands tangled in Ron's ginger hair and she was moaning quietly.

Hermione didn't know what to do when both Adalie and Ron heard her gasp from the door and turned to look at her. Hermione stared at the two of them, at a total loss for words, her mouth hanging open slightly. After a few moments of silence, Adalie's lips twitched up in satisfaction, her eyes glistening with triumph. Ron's face was horrified. He didn't know what to say. He sat up straight, making Adalie's body bend back a little so she was sitting on his legs, trapping him there. Hermione's eyes filled with agony as she stared at them. She felt somewhat dizzy and like she was about to faint. Hermione didn't move. Ron tried to get up but Adalie refused to move.

"Hermione," Ron tried, struggling to get Adalie off of him. She clung to his shoulders like an annoyingly perfect leech and stayed with her legs straddled overtop of his. Hermione shook her head, her eyes and nose stinging with oncoming tears, her chin trembling. She felt like her ribcage was being crushed in on itself. "Hermione, please, it's not what it looks like. I-I can explain!" Ron said unconvincingly. He managed to stand up and Adalie still clung to his bare chest as he pushed her away. "Get off me." Ron snarled forcefully. Hermione felt another stab of pain when she realized that Ron's belt was undone and his pants were partially down. She immediately and without her knowing, started to back away from them. Ron advanced.

"Hermione, please. I promise you this isn't what you think it is-,"

"It's better." Adalie interjected. Tears overlapped in her eyes, pouring down her cheeks. She stared only at Ron, her heart breaking. Ron reached out for her but Hermione immediately backed away again, shaking her head.

"…H…H-How could you?" Hermione sobbed quietly. Ron tried to say something more but Hermione was gone, all that was left was the open door.

Hermione ran. She pushed her way through the people crowding inside the store, fighting her way to an exit. She burst out of the door and ran down the street, leaving Diagon Alley far behind. When she got out of there, she turned on the spot and Apperated. She didn't know where she was going. She only knew that she needed to get away from that, from everything. She knew that this was over. She knew that this was done. Hermione couldn't handle it any longer. She couldn't take it. Adalie had finally won the fight. She'd never have Ron back ever again and she wasn't getting married.

Hermione ended up in a heavily wooded area just off the coast of Scotland. Hermione stood there for a moment, listening to the birds singing in the trees, feeling the cold wind on her face. It stung her cheeks, which were wet with tears. More tears warmed her eyes as she stood there in the forest, seeing only Adalie and Ron in her mind's eye.

Without warning, Hermione was screaming. Hermione was screaming and grabbing anything her hands could touch: rocks, sticks, snow, dried leaves, and she was throwing them. She turned around, half sobbing, half crying out and she started punching a tree. Every blow to the hard bark made her anger intensify. She screamed as she threw punches at the tree until she could not hit it anymore. She slowed down her punches when she saw her knuckles: bruised, bleeding and split open. Her screams died down in her chest and she slowly backed away from the tree only to bump into another. She gasped as she sobbed and slid down the tree into a sitting position. She curled up, inexpressible pain coming from her body. She looked at her hands, which were now covered in her own blood and dirt. She felt something cold trickle down her arm and turned to see a good chunk of her upper arm was sliced off. She'd gotten splinched. When she saw how deep the wound was, she also began to feel it. The stinging pain started in her shoulder and made its way all the way through her arm. More tears gushed down her cheeks. She shook as she watched the blood run heavily down her arm in a long river of crimson against her coat, which was ripped and torn. Hermione slowly shut her eyes, feeling both the physical and emotion pain run through her shaking body. She cried in the deserted forest, waiting for something to take her away from this pain. She wanted to be numb again. She wanted to feel no pain. She wanted to die. Many people would say that that would be an exaggerated, dramatic thing to say but, in truth, Hermione was broken. How could she live when the man she loved was not hers any longer? How could she live when she had nothing and no one else to live for? How could she? How could he? How could they?

All these questions filled Hermione's mind as it drifted into a more blissful unconsciousness. She fainted, slumping over in the snow, her body and mind not able to take it anymore. As Hermione's vision blacked out and she became invisible to the world, the clouds began to form overhead, showing that there would be a very intense snowstorm in just a few minutes, leaving Hermione hopeless to save herself but giving her the opportunity to grant her wish for instantaneous death.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty: The storm

George stormed into the Burrow as the wind howled through the front door. He whipped his traveling cloak off and looked around the house frantically. Ginny was in the living room with her mum, looking at Wedding dress ideas when she heard George enter.

"Hey George!" Ginny called. George peeked into the living room, looking at the two women with stressed and angry eyes. Ginny saw his expression. "What's wrong? Why're you home so early?" she asked quickly, hoping something was just wrong with the shop. The anger overlapped the stress in his eyes as he spoke.

"Where's Hermione?" he asked them.

"I don't know. She was going to see Ron. I haven't seen her since this morning. Why?" Ginny asked worriedly. George clenched his fists tight for a moment before he spoke again.

"We can't find her." George told them.

"What do you mean? She walked to the joke shop to see Ron right after we picked out bridesmaids dresses." Ginny said, confused. George heard Ron enter the Burrow as well and it made him even more infuriated. George went over and grabbed Ron. He pushed him in the room. Ron stood there with his cloak and boots still on, his ginger hair windswept and covered in snow. His face looked extremely sullen and guilt was riddled through it.

"Tell them what you did." George ordered Ron. Ron flinched quickly but knew he had to do it.

"…Adalie kissed me." Ron said quietly, staring directly at the carpet.

"It wasn't just a kiss either. It was hard-core snogging." George corrected him. Ron blushed deeply as Mrs. Weasley and Ginny exchanged shocked looks. "Finish it." George urged him forcefully, crossing his arms. Ron gulped and took a deep breath.

"…And Hermione saw us. She walked in the broom cupboard we were in." Ron told his mum and sister. Ginny looked at her brother and saw a hickey on his neck. Her eyes filled with the same kind of rage that George's eyes held. She stood from the couch and strode towards him. In seconds, a slapping sound filled the living room. Ron felt his cheek sting with pain for a moment. He felt his sister's piercing green eyes staring at him. He couldn't meet her gaze.

"What the _bloody HELL, _Ron! What the bloody hell! How could you do this to her?!" Ginny hollered at him as Mrs. Weasley stood up to reign her daughter in, which didn't work.

"I didn't do anything, Ginny! She was in the closet when I got there! She pushed me onto a table! I couldn't even stop her!" Ron tried to explain frantically, backing away from his sister. Ginny kept advancing.

"That's bullshit, Ron! You're twice as strong as her!" Ginny yelled.

"You don't understand! She was half undressed when I walked in! Before I knew it, I was on the table and my shirt was off! And she was kissing me! I couldn't stop her, Ginny! I couldn't! I told her to stop! I told her about Hermione and how much I loved her but she wouldn't listen!" Ron told them, pleading for them to understand.

"You should've tried harder!" Ginny screamed at him. She was infuriated. He'd done this too many times to Hermione. This was ridiculous. Ron felt so guilty but there was nothing he could do. He felt helpless. Ginny took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Ron…you have done a lot of stupid things. You've done a lot of douchebag things over the years but I have to say that this is the absolute worst!" Ginny told him fiery. Ron nodded silently, knowing this was true. He couldn't believe he let Adalie do that to him.

"Alright, let's just calm down for a minute and think about this," Mrs. Weasley said. "Where did Hermione go after she saw the two of you in the closet?" Mrs. Weasley asked Ron. Ron shrugged.

"I don't know. She just ran off. I didn't see where she went." Ron said truthfully. Ginny turned away from Ron, beginning to pace the room, just furious, but thinking.

"Well, where would she go?" George asked Ron. Ron looked at him with wide eyes.

"How should I know?!" he cried.

"Well, you're the one who wanted to marry her! You should know these things!" George told him sharply.

"Come again? Did you say "wanted" George? Because I still want to marry her!" Ron said testily. George glared at him.

"Maybe you should consider the events of today and how Hermione must be feeling, Ron. Then maybe you'll understand why I said "wanted"." George clarified. That hurt. Ron shrunk back, pain in his eyes.

"Alright, that's enough!" Mrs. Weasley snapped. "We have to focus on where Hermione would go. Where does she feel most at home?"

As she talked, Harry came down the stairs. He looked at them all curiously.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, walking over to them. No one responded.

"The Library? She loves libraries." Ron said, even though that fact was obvious.

"No. She wouldn't go there if she were upset. It's too public. She needs a sheltered place, somewhere deserted, probably away from any kind of person that could find out how distraught she is." Ginny said, her tone sleuth-like. Harry raised his eyebrow.

"Er, guys? Can someone explain-," Harry tried but George interrupted.

"At her house in the Muggle world?" George suggested. Everyone shook their heads.

"No. Her parents were murdered. There are too many memories connecting to her parents in that house." Mrs. Weasley said. Harry was starting to understand what was going on.

"Well, where else could she go? She wouldn't go to Hogwarts. Its unsafe." Ginny said.

"How about Grimmould Place?" Ron suggested. This time, Harry shook his head.

"Hermione would never go there. She hates it. It's too dark and depressing in there." Harry told them. Finally, everyone focused their attention on Harry.

"Well, where do you think she'd go, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked him. Harry pondered that for a moment before he answered.

"Hermione's brain is random when it comes to finding places to be. Both Ron and I know this because when we were on the run, Hermione would Apperate and Disapperate to the first place her mind thought of. It's obvious that she did indeed Apperate after she got upset over whatever she got upset over." Harry explained. Ron was getting frustrated with Harry's word games. They didn't have time for this.

"Get to the point." Ron growled. Harry was taken aback by the harshness and rudeness of Ron's tone. Harry stared at Ron.

"When we were on the run and looking for Horcruxes and Hermione and I spent a little more time together than usual-," it was incredibly obvious that this was when Ron had left them. Ron felt a sting of hurt in his chest as Harry continued. "I realized that she related to places she'd been before, places where she felt most comfortable. When she was upset, she would Apperate to the woods where her parents took her camping as a kid. It made her feel safe, secure. It numbed the pain," Harry told them. Everyone listened intently. "So, I think that Hermione is somewhere in the Forest of Dean." He finished. Ron's eyes lit up with understanding. The rest of them looked lost.

"Well, if that's what you think, Harry, we'd better look there first." Ginny said quickly. She had a feeling that being alone with Hermione for those couple of weeks in the woods had really helped Harry understand her and she was glad. It was at times like these, when Ron did something wrong and Hermione was hard to understand, that Ginny felt grateful that Harry was smart enough to decipher her.

"Brilliant. We'll split up and look for her. If we don't find her within the hour, we'll come back to the Burrow and brainstorm some more." George said quickly. Everyone nodded and they went outside swiftly. The snow was falling thick and fast now. Ginny and George Disapperated first, then Mrs. Weasley and Ron, then finally Harry.

As soon as they got there, they realized this was a very unsafe place to be indeed. They'd been caught in a blizzard. The snow was white and blinding. Everyone was blinded by the huge amount of snow that was falling on them. The wind howled like a thousand ravenous wolves. No one could hear, no one could see and it was freezing cold. Harry immediately wished he'd brought his traveling cloak. He looked around and only saw white. He couldn't even tell where he was. He couldn't hear anything but the howling wind as it whipped snow around him. Nevertheless, Harry started walking, his arms crossed, trying to keep warm.

"Hermione!" Harry called, trying to raise his voice loud enough so someone could hear him. "Hermione!"

Ginny and George were on the outskirts of the forest. The wind was so strong, the trees were practically bending over. They quickly went into the forest, calling Hermione's name, trying to peer through the snow. "Hermione! Hermione, answer us!" they called over and over.

Ron and Mrs. Weasley were searching in the middle of the forest, as was Harry, but they never saw Harry. They didn't hear him either. They simply called for Hermione, as the others did, trying their hardest to be heard over the dangerous storm.

Forty five minutes went by. There was no luck in finding Hermione. They searched for what seemed like forever. Everyone knew that they couldn't leave Hermione in a storm like this or she'd freeze to death. Harry, who'd been looking under every tree, bush and fallen log, had no feeling in his body. His face felt like it was being stabbed with a billion knives as the wind smacked him as he turned around a different corner of the forest. The snow was making his black shirt and blue jeans completely white and he couldn't feel his feet. His glasses were covered in the wet snow and he was constantly wiping them with his fingers so he could see through the partial smudges on his lenses.

After a moment, Harry took a step and realized that the ground under him was unstable. He tried to maintain his balance as he looked down at how far he was going to fall. He felt the snow shift under his boots and he was tumbling down a small hill in the forest. He could feel the stones and twigs digging into his sides and back as he rolled down the hill, not able to scream or anything. He fell for a couple more seconds before he hit firm ground and rolled for a couple seconds before smashing into a tree.

"Oof!" he exclaimed, the air rushing from his lungs. When he took another breath, he smelt something familiar: Perfume. He took another breath again and opened his eyes. Not even his snow-covered glasses could conceal the sight of the brown bushy hair he was seeing. He quickly sat up and saw a shape that looked like Hermione, buried underneath layers of snow. He also saw red against the white snow, which meant she was somehow bleeding. Harry gently put his hand on her arm.

"Hermione," he said over the wind, gently trying to shake her. "Hermione, can you hear me?" No response. Harry quickly brushed Hermione off and took his jacket off, his heart starting to race in his chest. "C'mon Hermione. Don't do this." He helped her sit up and realized she'd been splinched. He swallowed, seeing all the blood that was still leaking from her arm, making the rest of her skin pale and sullen. He put his jacket around her shoulders and picked her up in his arms, holding her close to his chest. She was still unconscious. Harry quickly turned on the spot and Apperated back to the Burrow.

The wind and snow was less violent at the Burrow, but it was still freezing cold. Harry peered through the snow to see that Ginny, George and Mrs. Weasley had just gotten back. Harry quickly walked over to them, holding Hermione. Ron Apperated behind him and they all went inside.

"Where did you find her?" Ron asked as Harry laid Hermione on the couch. Ginny looked at the back of Harry's shirt and saw blood. It wasn't Hermione's either.

"Harry, you're bleeding." She told him quietly. Harry couldn't yet feel the pain from the long cut he got when he fell down that hill. His back was scratched open, probably by a rock and the bloodstain was getting larger with every passing second. But Harry didn't care. Harry knelt beside Hermione and tried to find a pulse on her neck. There was a weak heartbeat and her breathing was shallow, her chest only rising and falling every ten to twenty seconds. Ron watched Harry as he stood on the other side of Hermione, his arms crossed. He saw what looked like love in Harry's eyes and got jealous. Could his best mate be falling in love with his fiancée?

Ginny knelt down beside Hermione too, also worried. She laid a hand on Hermione's bare arm and felt how freezing she was. "She's so cold…" Ginny immediately got up to grab a couple blankets as Mrs. Weasley came over and looked at Hermione's upper arm, which was still bleeding heavily. Ron remembered how much getting splinched hurt. He felt so bad and angry at himself. He caused that. _He _caused that.

"Ron, in my room, there's a trunk under my bed. Inside there' a tiny bottle called-," Mrs. Weasley said but Harry finished for her.

"Essence of Dittany. Hurry Ron." Harry told him urgently. Ron felt anger flare up in his chest. It was like she was his responsibility. Nevertheless, he bounded up the stairs, got the trunk and rummaged through it for a moment before he found the tiny bottle. He ran back downstairs as he saw his mum tearing the arm of Hermione's shirt open and Ginny laying the heavy blanket down on her.

"Here." Ron handed his mum the bottle. Mrs. Weasley quickly took cork off and put a couple of drops on the open wound. Hermione stirred from her consciousness, opening her eyes briefly when she felt the pain. It stung so badly. Hermione gasped in pain her hand going to her arm. Ginny quickly grabbed her hand and held it tightly, holding her back so she didn't hurt herself further.

"I'm sorry dear." Mrs. Weasley said, seeing her pain. She had to keep putting the Dittany on her wound. Hermione gave tiny, exhausted squeaks of pain as she did so and when it was finished, she was too tired to even respond. Hermione just fell back asleep, dizzy from how much blood she'd lost. Mrs. Weasley looked at her sadly and quickly stood up after a moment. "We should put her in her room." Mrs. Weasley said quickly. Both Harry and Ron moved to pick her up and Ron gave Harry a nasty look.

"I've got her, mate." Ron said calmly, his eyes burning. Harry noticed the look he gave him and immediately backed off as Ron picked Hermione up and carried her to her bedroom. Harry looked at Ginny as she wound her fingers through his.

"Don't worry about it." Ginny said softly. Harry nodded and kissed her forehead swiftly as they heard the bedroom door close behind Ron.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One: Ron's rage.

It was around noon the next day when Hermione finally woke up. She'd stirred a couple of times in the night and saw brief glimpses of people's faces but this time, she was awake for good.

When Hermione's eyes focused, she saw Harry and Ginny sitting at her bedside, talking to each other quietly. A couple seconds later, they realized she was awake and focused on her.

"Hey, Hermione. How're you feeling?" Harry asked her gently. Hermione did a quick survey of how her body felt. Her shoulder hurt a lot, her hands ached and she was incredibly cold, even under the many blankets that were laying over her.

"…Okay." Hermione croaked. She looked at Ginny, who looked worried. She seemed at a loss for words. What could she say to her to make her understand how sorry she felt and how much pain her brother had caused her.

"I'll go tell mum you're awake." Ginny said softly. She got up and left the room, closing the door. Hermione looked at Harry, who was looking at her face in the same way Hermione used to when she thought Harry was unwell. Hermione forced a smirk on her lips.

"You should see your face right now." Hermione said to him weakly. Harry chuckled quietly and smiled, but that was short-lived.

"Do you remember anything?" Harry asked. As he prompted her memory, the images of Adalie and Ron came flooding back to her. She felt an uncomfortable tingle behind her eyes as she realized tears were coming back. She blinked furiously and looked at the ceiling.

"Yes… I remember everything…up to the point where I ended up in the Forest of Dean…then it's just a blank." Hermione explained. Harry swallowed and looked at her again. He saw the amount of agony in her eyes.

"…I'm sorry, Hermione." Harry said sorrowfully. Hermione contained her emotions and looked over at Harry with her tired brown eyes.

"What do you have to apologize for? You didn't do anything wrong." Hermione told him.

"No, I mean, I'm sorry for what happened to you…I'm sorry that you've been going through this for years." Harry said quietly. Hermione looked at him for a lengthy measure of time and then up at the ceiling again.

"Do you ever think about it, Harry?" Hermione inquired. Harry looked at her face curiously.

"About what?" said Harry. Hermione sighed heavily.

"We could've fallen in love so many times over the years." Hermione said, her voice worn, but thoughtful.

"…Come again?" Harry said, sort of shocked at where the conversation had gone in those few seconds.

"We had the chances to fall in love so many times. When I was tired of always trying to convince myself that Ron actually thought something of me and when you were tired of chasing after Ginny. It always seemed that we got the brunt of each other's troubles. We always talked it out with each other. Don't you think it would've been easier?" Hermione knew that she'd never think of Harry as anything more than a very good friend. Harry knew this too, so this question wasn't awkward.

"The truthful answer is yes, it would probably be easier to be in love with you. But I think that love has a way of making things difficult on purpose. It shows how much you really love someone when you fight for them." Harry told her gently. Hermione thought about that for a moment, taking a few deep breaths.

"…You're right," she said simply. She looked at Harry. "Promise me something, Harry?"

"Anything."

"…Take good care of Ginny. Don't break her heart." Hermione said with a sort of weak motivation. Harry looked at Hermione and took her hand.

"I promise. I would never do anything to hurt Ginny." Harry told her. Hermione nodded.

"I know, Harry. But it's not the direct things that kill. It's the unintentional." Hermione said. Harry nodded back.

"I know." They sat in silence for another couple seconds before Mrs. Weasley came in the room. Hermione looked over at her and saw that she was carrying many glasses filled with different kinds of liquid.

"Hello dear," Mrs. Weasley said warmly, coming over and putting the glasses on the bedside table.

"Hello Mrs. Weasley." Hermione greeted her weakly as Harry stood.

"I'll leave you two alone. Get some rest Hermione." Harry ordered. He turned and left the room. As he closed the door, he heard voices leaking from downstairs. He listened to the conversation as he traveled down the stairs. He soon figured out that it was Ginny and Ron having a row.

"-Let me go up and see her! C'mon Ginny! This is ridiculous!" Ron said loudly.

"I can't let you do that, Ron. You don't understand what you did to her, do you?" Ginny said testily.

"Of course I do! I understand exactly what I did! I just don't get why you won't let me see her!"

"Because she just woke up, Ron. She's weak and fragile and seeing you might send her over the edge. Do you want that?" Ginny asked him harshly. There was a brief silence.

"…No." Ron's voice was immediately more sullen and quiet. Harry came to the last step and saw them. They were both standing up, almost nose to nose with each other. Ron looked over as Harry appeared and his face immediately became more angry-looking. "How come he got to see her and I didn't? I'm her fiancée!" Ron yelled, trembling with renewed rage. Ginny looked at Ron with her green eyes. She quickly looked at Harry.

"Ron, you can't see her. She's too weak." Harry told him truthfully. Ron looked at Harry, his eyes nasty-looking.

"You don't have any right to tell me whether or not I can see Hermione! Bloody hell, I thought you'd be on my side!" Ron exclaimed.

"I'm not on anyone's side, Ron. I'm just trying to make sure both of my friends will be okay." Harry countered.

"Well, don't! We don't need you to get involved in our problems! We can figure it out on our own!" Ron yelled angrily.

"I'm not trying to get involved in anything, Ron! Stop being so thick!" Harry told him, getting angry himself.

"I'm not being thick!" Ron bellowed. He turned to Ginny, who was standing there, wide-eyed. "I need to see Hermione."

"You can't, Ron. You can't. You have to wait until she's a bit stronger." Ginny told him, trying to be gentle.

"No! I need to see her _now!"_ Ron yelled. He turned to go upstairs but Harry blocked his way. Ron's eyes flared with fiery anger and hatred. Ron pushed against Harry's chest, making him stumble back into the stairs. Harry regained his balance and quickly pushed Ron back, feeling rage build up inside him. Ron grabbed Harry by the shoulders and tried to push him against the wall but Ginny whipped out her wand and pointed it in between Ron and Harry.

"_Protego!"_ Ginny cried. Ron was immediately pushed backwards away from Harry. He stumbled back and regained his own balance. He looked at Ginny with a fury that couldn't be described in words. Ron looked between the two of them.

"I see how it is. Now because you're getting married, you take his side, right?" Ron said nastily. Ginny blinked, her wand still raised.

"No, Ron-,"

"Well, you guys have fun living happily ever after." Ron snarled. Harry watched as Ron grabbed his coat, put on his shoes and left the Burrow, slamming the front door shut behind him. The two of them stood for a moment in complete silence before Harry looked at Ginny.

"Where will he go?" Harry asked.

"…I have no clue." Ginny answered softly as they both watched Ron Disapperate, leaving only swirling snow where he once stood.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-two: Drunk

The days wore on and on. There was little to do but wait now and even waiting was proving to be a horrible waste of time. Everyone was edgy, even Mr. Weasley, who was concerned about Ron's whereabouts. He still hadn't come home yet. No one had seen or heard from him since he stormed out.

Harry felt horrible. He didn't know what to do with himself. Ginny kept telling him to stop blaming himself for every little thing that happened. Harry wasn't really talking to Ginny about his feelings right now because, well, to be perfectly honest, she was a bit more moody than normal. Even Hermione had noticed it but she just brushed it off as early wedding jitters and assured Harry it was just "girl things." Well, he never questioned her bitterness again.

Hermione was healing up nicely with the help of Mrs. Weasley and now she was up and walking again. The house was a little too tense for Hermione to be in at the moment (Ginny was having another heated discussion with Harry about perspective), so she went outside for a walk. It was still a little chilly out, so she took a coat. She wondered through the long grass of the Burrow's backyard, running her hands along the blades as she walked. Her eyes fell upon an old weeping willow not too far away from where she was standing. She walked over to the tree and looked up at the dangling branches, pushing them aside to sit down at the base of the trunk. There was a great view of a little creak, which was frozen at the moment, and the sun was just being covered by some grey clouds, giving the air a little more shadow than normal.

Her mind wouldn't shut up again. That was one of the many downfalls about being Hermione. Her brain just never shuts up. Some of the thoughts were just random but most of them were calculated thoughts. Most of her thoughts were about Ron though, as usual. He was all she thought about these days, and rightly so. She was going through the motions: grief, anger and acceptance. She got over the grief part and she was now onto the anger. Every time she thought of that day when she found them, a fire would light in the pit of her stomach and she'd never be able to concentrate on anything else. She hated how triumphant Adalie looked when she met her eyes. She hated that little smirk, those annoying, piercing blue eyes, that disgustingly perfect body and gorgeous face and that high, sly voice that reminded her too much of Malfoy. She never thought she'd hate another human being as much as she hated Adalie. She even hated her more than Umbridge and that was stretching her hatred a bit far. But overall, she just couldn't believe Ron would do such a thing. That stooped below any of the standards she ever thought he'd break.

Hermione sighed quietly, staring at the sky, measuring the colors. She let her mind drift in and out of focus for a couple of minutes before she heard footsteps. She couldn't figure out where it was coming from until she felt someone standing directly behind her. She turned around just to see a bout of ginger hair and then she felt soft lips on hers. Hermione squeaked, jumping a foot in the air. She melted a little into the kiss before she realized who it was and pulled back. She yanked her hand back and slapped Ron across the face.

Ron toppled over onto his butt, looking offended, but slightly dazed. Hermione stared at him with her dagger eyes that she was known for and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.

"What are you _doing?"_ Hermione exclaimed wildly. Ron looked a little happier, sitting on his duff with a joyful, free air to his face.

"Just sitting here, you?" Ron asked. Hermione's eyes widened as she felt the hatred bubble like lava in the pit of her belly. Who did he think he was?!

"No, I meant, what the bloody hell are you doing here?"

"Hey, hold up!" Ron said, swaying a little as he leaned towards Hermione. He held a finger up in her face and looked at her, totally serious. They were close enough now that Hermione realized why he was acting this way. "…My catchphrase. You can't use my catchphrase," Ron told her, his words slurred. "That'd be like me saying "_Honestly Ron!"-_," he mocked her tone perfectly. Hermione stared at him with incredulous, wild, fiery eyes.

"You're drunk!_"_ Hermione said in dismay. Ron shrugged, wiping his mouth on his sleeve

"Maybe a lil bit…" he admitted drunkenly. Hermione's mouth hung open a little.

"I…I can't believe this. I cannot believe this." Hermione said in denial, looking at anywhere but Ron.

"Hey, Mione. Herm-I-own-ninny! Hehehe," Ron giggled. "That sounds funny. Do you ever think about how funny your name is?" Ron asked her lightly, leaning far too close. Hermione shuffled her body away from him.

"Get away from me, Ronald! I refuse to talk to you when you're drunk." Hermione said firmly, her expression cold.

"You refuse to talk to me when I'm sober too." Ron reminded her. Hermione huffed angrily as he kept advancing on her, trying to touch her leg or face or anything he could come in contact with.

"Keep your filthy paws off me, Ron!"

"That's not what you said that night in the Room of Requirement!" Ron sniggered. Hermione blushed furiously.

"Ronald!"

"Now,_ that's_ something you _did _say in the Room of Requirement. Quite loudly, in fact-,"

"Just stop it, Ron! Just stop!" Hermione shouted over him. Ron shut his mouth and Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself. "What do you want?" she asked coldly. Ron looked down at his jacket sheepishly.

"I want you." He muttered. Hermione's eyebrow rose.

"Oh, you want _me_ now?" Hermione asked sarcastically, turning and crossing her arms so her back was to Ron.

"I've always wanted you and no one else." Ron told her with desperation in his voice. Hermione wasn't taking any of that bullcrap.

"Yeah, right. Wait, why am I even having this conversation with you right now? Or _ever_ for that matter?!"

"Because you love me." Ron said simply. Hermione turned around sharply, glaring at him harshly.

"I do _not_ love you." She hissed loathingly. Ron stood his ground.

"Yes, you do, Mione. And you know it. You can't deny it." Ron told her seriously, still swaying a little.

"Oh yeah? Watch me!" she got up and went to leave but Ron grabbed onto her foot, keeping her there and almost tripping her.

"Ronald! This is childish and foolish! Let go!"

"No! Not until you tell me that you love me!" Ron said from the ground. Hermione tried to kick him off, but he was too strong.

"I will _not _say any such thing! Now _get off_-!"  
"Say it!"

"_Ron_, I told you to-,"

"_Say it!"_

"_NO!" _Hermione cried. Her voice echoed through the open space for a moment, sending the crows flying into the air. Hermione stared down at Ron for a moment. Ron seemed to sober up a tiny bit in that moment, seeing how serious she was. He could see the fury, the hatred, the agony in her eyes, on her face. He could see it now. "Do you want to know why I won't say it, Ronald? Because I won't mean it! I can't love you! I don't know if I can ever love you again! You know why? Because you almost had sex with the one woman you promised you'd never see again! You promised me, Ron! If you can't keep a simple promise now, than how am I supposed to trust you later?" Hermione asked him. Ron stared up at her, dumbfounded and shocked. Hermione glared down at him with her brown eyes. "I loved you, Ron. I truly did. I loved you so much it hurt! And you're treating my love like it was nothing! What was I to you, Ron? Was I nothing to you? Was I so little a thing that you decided I wasn't worth it? Was I just a "practise run"? Was I just a _test trial_?!" Hermione yelled. "You know what's the worst thing, Ron? It's that this is how you come to make up with me. This is how you decide to try and win me back. You got drunk and came to try and win my love back?" She looked at him for a second, completely speechless. "…Am I really worth that little to you?"

Ron was at a loss for words. His eyes were suddenly clear and he understood what he'd done. His grip went slack so Hermione shook her foot loose and began to storm away from the tree, her fists clenched and her shoulders squared. Ron watched her walk away as the last bits of the alcohol wore off.

"…We…We're getting married!" Ron tried with one last feeble attempt, his voice breaking. Hermione halted for a moment and turned to look at him. She could shoot a lot of nasty words at him at the moment that would make him understand how she felt. But, she'd had experiences where actions left more impact than words did. So, without breaking eye contact with Ron, Hermione reached down, pulled off the beautiful engagement ring from her left hand and looked down at it. She watched it sparkle in the sunlight for a moment before she looked at him and dropped the ring on the ground. Hermione saw his expression flicker. When she felt the ring bounce off the ground and roll towards him, she turned back and continued walking away, leaving him and her ring behind her in the dirt.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three: The talk

"So that's it? You're saying the wedding's off?" Katie Bell asked Ginny as she, as well as Angelina, Fleur and Luna sat with her, looking concerned.

Ginny looked at them sadly. "It seems to be on hold for the moment. There's a lot of drama going on between Hermione and Ron right now and Harry and I have both discussed it. We don't want to get married if Ron and Hermione are still in a toss. We want to make sure this is all worked out before we do anything more." She explained. The girls sat in weighted silence for a moment.

"…I'm confused." Luna said in her usual dreamy fashion. Everyone turned to look at her. Ginny rubbed her forehead. People had been getting on her nerves easier as the days wore on.

"What is there to be confused about, Luna? Harry and I are holding off our wedding until things settle down-,"

"No, not about you and Harry, Ginny," Luna told her. "I'm confused about Ron and Hermione. Why is Hermione upset at Ron?" she asked. Ginny looked at Luna as though she was mildly insane.

"Uh, Ron made out with Adalie. She caught them. I thought I told you this." Ginny said with dismay.

"But he didn't, did he? It seems that Adalie was already in the closet before Ron got in there. So, how can it be Ron's fault if Adalie jumped him?" Luna asked her. Ginny looked at her with confused eyes.

"Well, it's obviously not all Ron's fault but he could've done more to stop Adalie. He could have gotten her off him."

"That's beside the point though. Hermione thinks that Ron cheated on her when really he didn't. Has anyone told Hermione about how Adalie jumped him first?" Luna looked around at everyone, who avoided her eyes, shaking their heads. She looked back at Ginny. "Maybe that would help if you talked to Hermione about it." she told her. Ginny looked awkwardly down at the table and nodded.

"I guess you're right. But, don't you think that it's a little pointless? I mean, she'll still be angry at him. Furious, actually. Do you think telling her would do anything at all?" Ginny asked. Fleur, who had been sitting quietly, piped into the conversation.

"Sure eet would! I mean, eet couldn't hurt, could eet? Hermione would be angry eef you _didn't _tell her as well." Fleur said. Ginny considered that for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah, she would. But, I've been thinking lately, what if…perhaps…maybe they weren't meant to be together? They're just so different." Ginny said quietly.

"Opposites attract." Angelina said, sitting with her arms crossed, looking at everyone.

"Yes, but think about it: Ron and Hermione have been in a love/hate relationship for most of their lives. One minute they love one another and another they're screaming at each other. I'm just thinking about all the cons that they have against one another."

"Well, every relationship 'as pros and cons, Ginny," Fleur told her. "Eef they're meant to be togezzer zen zey will be. Eef not, zen at least we know we did all we could to help zem. Eet's better to have given zem all the chance in ze world zen denied them the one ting zat might save zere relationship." Fleur told her. Ginny nodded quietly and got up, making up her mind. She said her goodbyes to the girls and went upstairs to Hermione's room and knocked on the door. She waited for a response and when she didn't get any, she opened the door.

The first thing she saw was Hermione standing at the vanity in her bedroom, rearranging something quickly. She saw Ginny in the mirror and turned around. Hermione looked normal but her eyes looked dead. She simply looked tired.

There was a bout of heavy silence between them. Ginny saw a cauldron bubbling behind Hermione's back and the room smelled of a strong-smelling perfume. They stared at one another for a moment before Ginny started talking. "Grab your coat." She said quickly. She wasn't interested in what she was brewing. She was on a mission. Hermione gazed at her, confused.

"What? Why?" Hermione asked her. Ginny quickly strode over to her closet and grabbed the coat. She gave it to Hermione.

"We're going out for a Butterbeer. Now hurry up and grab your wand. Be outside in five minutes." Ginny said in a tone that made Hermione's feeble attempts to turn it down die in her throat.

"Who else is coming?" Hermione asked softly.

"No one. Just you and me and Butterbeer. Now hurry up!" Ginny said quickly and went out of her room again. Hermione watched her leave and then turned back to her vanity. She looked at the book that was open on it. The title read "_1000 useful everyday potions." _Hermione had it opened up to the chapter on Beauty and Vanity. She looked at the text on the page, which read "_For the less-fortunate witches and wizards who weren't gifted with looks. Brew this potion and you'll be a stunner in no time!" _

As much as Hermione thought this was a ridiculous book, she was ready to try anything. She just wanted to be beautiful and this potion was supposed to help her become beautiful. So she thought, why not? It was worth a try.

After a moment, Hermione turned the cauldron off, put the potion in a flask and put it in her pocket. She looked at her wand, which was sitting beside her cauldron. She hadn't used it, of course. She refused to touch it.

Hermione pulled on her coat and sighed. She snatched her wand off the vanity and stowed it in her coat pocket. She rushed downstairs, leaving the book and the cauldron behind her.

Ginny and Hermione Apperated to the Three Broomsticks and Ginny found a tiny table for two in the corner so they could have privacy. They sat down and the waiter came over.

"What'll it be, ladies?" he asked them.

"I'll have a Butterbeer." Ginny said.

"I'll have one also." Hermione told him. The waiter nodded and walked off. Hermione stared at her hands, twisting them in knots. Ginny looked at Hermione's face for a moment before she looked away and then back.

"Well, uh, this is nice," Hermione said after a while. "Going out." Ginny stared at her with blank eyes but she still wouldn't look up at her.

"Yeah. We should do it more often." Ginny said. Hermione quickly snuck a look at her.

"So, is this strictly a social outing or did you want me here for a reason?" Hermione inquired. She knew Ginny wouldn't just get up and go for a Butterbeer unless it was absolutely necessary that she talked to her about something.

"Well, I did want to talk to you about…well, my brother. I know that you don't want to talk about him right now-," she added when she saw Hermione's face. "But I'd really appreciate it if you at least listened to me and hear me out." Ginny said with a sort of desperation in her voice. Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes glaring at the table.

"Fine. Go ahead." She said, trying to remain as calm as possible. Ginny took the opportunity and quickly started talking.

"Ron didn't cheat on you." Ginny told her. Hermione's eyes snapped up and she arched a brown eyebrow at her. She opened her mouth to shoot fiery words at Ginny, but she kept going. "Let me explain: you walked into that cupboard in _Weasley Wizard Wheezes_ and saw Ron and Adalie kissing, right?" Hermione opened her mouth again but Ginny didn't stop to get her answer. "Well, what if I told you that Adalie was in the cupboard waiting for Ron when he got there?" There was a very strange-feeling silence between them as they stared at one another intensely. The waiter came over with two Butterbeer and set it beside them. They never broke eye contact.

"…Why does this even matter now?" Hermione asked, breaking the staring contest and picking up her Butterbeer. She took a sip, only focusing on the drink. Ginny stared at her with big, shocked eyes.

"Because I thought you'd have wanted to fight for him, or at least know that it wasn't all entirely his fault." Ginny said with a confusion. To Ginny's shock, Hermione laughed.

"Ginny, I sincerely don't care that he kissed someone else, okay? He could've kissed the Queen and I wouldn't have cared. It was just the fact that it was…her." She said the last word with loathing and took another sip of her Butterbeer, staring at nothing.

"…Hermione, do you seriously think I'm stupid? Was I not your best friend for I don't know how many years?" Ginny asked testily. Hermione looked down at her mug.

"…You still are." She muttered.

"Exactly. So how can you expect me to believe that rubbish about you not caring about who Ron kisses or not?" Ginny asked. Hermione shrugged, her eyes down. Ginny sighed. "Look. I know my brother's a prat. I know he's done a lot of wrong things to you but this isn't one of them. He didn't do this to you. Adalie did. Ron didn't want to make out with Adalie." Ginny told her earnestly. Hermione looked at her with an arched eyebrow.

"Of course he did, Ginny. Any guy would want to make out with Adalie-,"

"But he knew he had morals. He didn't know what was going on, Hermione. He didn't understand. He was probably stunned. Think about it: if he used to walk past Fleur and swoon, think about how he would react if she forced himself on him? What would he do?"

"…He'd sit there and let her kiss him." Hermione murmured. Ginny nodded.

"Exactly. So, you've got to know that this wasn't Ron's doing. This was all Adalie's doing." Ginny said.

"I understand that, Ginny. I've always known that Adalie's wanted Ron. Why do you think I was so protective over him? I didn't want to lose him to her…and that's exactly what happened when I caught them in the cupboard." Hermione said, her voice turning sour. Ginny continued to object, her Butterbeer forgotten beside her.

"But you haven't! He's in love with you, Hermione. He loves you. Adalie is like Lavender: an annoying girl that's obsessed with him. She's nothing to him." Ginny tried to explain. Hermione looked away, sighing.

"I just can't do it anymore, Ginny. Don't you understand?" Hermione said, her voice changing into something of defeat. Hermione turned her gaze upon her again. "I don't want to fight over something that everyone wants to own. I have to protect my pride." Hermione told her.

"Are you bloody serious-?!"

"Yes, I am! My pride is the only thing I have left! If I waste that now, then what am I?" Hermione asked her sharply. Ginny rolled her eyes, looking at her with fire in her eyes.

"To hell with pride!" Ginny yelled. The entire store went silent for a moment, everyone turning to look at her. Ginny quickly lowered her voice a little. "Do you love my brother or not?" She asked her. Hermione stared at her, not caring about the many people who were watching them.

"Of course I do. You know that." Hermione told her with angry eyes. Ginny didn't back off.

"Well, then pride shouldn't matter! If you love him, you'll give up anything for him, including your pride!" Ginny said furiously. Realization came over Hermione's features. She stared into Ginny's eyes and sighed. She rubbed her forehead, leaning against the table.

"…You're right. How could I have been so stupid?" Hermione said to herself. Ginny sat back in her seat and quickly took a sip of her Butterbeer.

"I don't know. I just know that you need to talk to Ron about this. You need to forgive him and you need to let this go." Ginny told her knowingly. Hermione looked at her.

"…I don't think I can. Listen before you say anything," Hermione added when she looked at her furiously. "As long as Adalie is involved in this relationship, and she is, no one can deny that," she said when Ginny went to object. "then I can't let it go. I can't forget. She won't give up. I know that. I've only ever seen that kind of stubbornness in one other person that I know." Hermione told her.

"And who might that be?" Ginny asked.

"Me." She said. Ginny watched her, understanding a little better. Hermione leaned forward. "Until Adalie and I talk about this face to face, I will not forgive nor forget. We have to fight this one out on our own."

"…Well, how can we make that happen? How can we help?" Ginny urged her.

"I don't know. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if she shows up." Hermione said. Ginny looked at her with thoughtful eyes as she wondered how she could get Adalie to somehow talk with Hermione.

Meanwhile, at the Burrow, Harry walked into Hermione's room to talk to her. He had news of Adalie.

"Hermione?" he looked around for her and realized she wasn't there. He stared at the empty room for a moment before he noticed the book on her vanity. He walked over and looked at the potions book. He picked up the book and looked at the chapter it was flipped open to. He felt a little bit of a sting in his chest when he realized why this was here. "…Hermione." He felt so horrible. She wanted to change herself. She wanted to change how she looked because she still thought she was ugly. This couldn't keep happening.

Harry quickly shut the book and put it back on the vanity. He walked out of Hermione's room to go have a talk with Ron about all of this. Maybe he knew about it and if he did, the two of them were going to fix it together.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four: Confrontation

Later that day, Ginny went home to the Burrow with Hermione only to find Fleur standing there at the door with a smile on her face that was best described as the smile of someone who has plotted something.

"Don't come in here. We are leaving." Fleur told them. Hermione stared confusedly at her.

"I beg your pardon? We were just out." Hermione told her.

"I know zat! But you're going out again! No arguments!" Fleur said with a flourish of her dainty hand. Angelina, Katie and Luna walked outside too, in their winter attire. Hermione's eyes narrowed. Angelina and Katie looked sheepishly down at their feet as though they were trying not to say anything to Fleur deliberately and Luna just looked exuberant, as per usual. So did Fleur.

"…Where are we going?" Hermione asked curiously. Fleur beamed.

"We are going to za spa!" Fleur said brightly. Hermione stared blankly at her.

"…The spa?" Hermione questioned with a raised eyebrow. Luna and Fleur nodded while Angelina and Katie stared at Ginny with pleading eyes. They obviously didn't want to go as much as Hermione didn't. Hermione looked around for any kind of joke in Fleur's eyes and when she realized there was none, she raised a brown eyebrow at her. "I am not going to a _spa! _I've never been to one in my life!" Hermione said hotly.

"Zen eet makes eet zat much more special!" Fleur said excitedly. Hermione sighed and tried to move past her but she blocked the way, her hands on her hips. Hermione started to get kind of annoyed. Her in a spa? Pfft! That would never happen.

"Fleur, I am not going to a spa, okay?" Hermione said firmly.

"Yes, you are." Fleur said back, just as forcefully. Hermione gritted her teeth.

"You…can't make me!" Hermione crossed her arms. Fleur did too.

"Oh, but I can!" she fired back.

"Oh? And how are you going to do that, may I ask?" Hermione said sourly. Fleur smiled at her slyly.

"Like zis." Without a warning of any kind, Fleur's hand whipped out and grabbed Hermione's forearm and suddenly, they were gone.

After many seconds of extremely uncomfortable lack of breath, Hermione and Fleur stood outside a spa in Diagon Alley. Hermione turned sharply to glare at Fleur, who was smiling brightly at her. Just then, two sharp cracking sounds erupted in the silence and Ginny, Angelina, Katie and Luna appeared. Angelina and Katie looked as glum as ever, Ginny looked uncomfortable and Luna was just beaming.

"Fleur! I told you, I don't want to go in a spa-!" Hermione started.

"It's no use, Hermione." Angelina mumbled glumly.

"Yeah. Don't fight the power." Katie muttered, her arms crossed. Hermione huffed angrily and Fleur led her inside, Luna pushing the others in too.

The spa was beautiful. Hermione couldn't deny that. There were rows upon rows of large white chairs where you would presumably sit to get manicures and pedicures done. There were long tables in the middle of the room where lamps were. They were stations for nail-painting. The thing that shocked Hermione the most was that the back wall was a huge shelf full of just nail polish. Hermione's nose wrinkled at the strong smell of nail polish remover and then the smell of huge potted plants that were in the corners of the room. She was terrified. You didn't put someone like her in a room like this.

A woman came prancing out in red heals, skinny jeans, a blouse and a sequined apron that sparkled brightly against the lights. Hermione squinted as she looked at her. She was definitely part Veela. Her teeth were perfectly straight and white, her skin pale but radiating beauty. She was thin and curvy with very long golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She squealed with joy when she saw Fleur and Fleur returned the high-pitched sound. The two woman scampered over to one another, their heals clicking against the linoleum, and they embraced, kissing both cheeks, French-style.

"Oh, Elizabeth! Eet 'as been too long!" Fleur exclaimed as she hugged her friend.

"Oui, mademoiselle! 'Ow 'ave you been? Expecting a little one, I see!" Elizabeth patted the bump on Fleur's stomach as Fleur smiled dazzlingly.

"I'm doing great! I've actually come to give my friends 'ere a relaxing day at ze spa." Fleur said, gesturing to the girls standing behind her. Elizabeth looked at them and there was suddenly a slight hint of panic in her eyes.

"Uh…all of zem?" she asked.

"Yes. I'll pay full price." Fleur said quickly. Elizabeth's eyes quickly unclouded.

"Oh, don't you worry about zat, my dear! Save your money for clothing for the little one! Zis spa day is on the house!" Elizabeth clapped her well-manicured hands and, just like that, a hoard of Veelas came out of the back room. "Ladies! We are 'ere to make zees ladies beautiful! Vous allez loin, vous allez loin!" Elizabeth snapped her fingers. The Veelas that were carrying wands, and each as beautiful as Elizabeth and Fleur, swooped in on Angelina, Katie, Ginny, Luna and Hermione, grabbing them and talking to them in broken English as they sat them down in the white chairs.

The next two hours were…well, painful. They did a full manicure, pedicure with a facial, a full hair do-over and a full-body moisturizing. They also waxed their eyebrows and legs, which was…well, interesting to watch. By the end of it, the girls looked stunning but they were exhausted.

Katie looked better than she ever had in her life. Her brown hair hung straight down her back and she now had straight across bangs, which lined precisely with her now perfectly waxed eyebrows. She was getting her makeup done now, waiting for her nails to dry. The Veela was trying to explain to her how wearing eye liner would help bring out the brown in her eyes. She didn't quite understand and struggled to let the Veela come at her with a pointy pencil of eyeliner.

Angelina was fighting with a Veela who was trying to comb through her frizzy black hair with a brush that looked about as dainty and fragile as the Veela did. She looked gorgeous but she was terrified of all of the different instruments they were using on her, such as a nail file and lip liner.

Ginny had pretty much given up fighting the Veela when she started working on her. Her hair was now curled in perfect large ringlets and they cut her bangs to make them sweep to the side. She looked amazing. She was sitting at the table, getting her nails done.

Luna was having the time of her life. She'd never done a day to the spa before, like Hermione. She was enjoying every last minute of it. Her normally wavy hair was now perfectly straight and it was up in an intricate bun. Hermione felt somewhat sorry for the Veela that was working on Luna because she hadn't stopped talking since they started. At the moment, Luna was chatting away about some Snuffila plant that cures Blibblepox.

Fleur was blabbing away in fluent French with Elizabeth as she filed her own nails. She'd gotten her hair done nicely. It was cut shorter, but just an inch shorter and it fell in waves down her back. Her skin glowed with renewed beauty and she had gorgeous nails to match the color of the heals she was wearing.

Hermione had fought with the Veela for quite a while. She tried to explain that she didn't want a facial or a pedicure or a manicure but the Veela wouldn't have any of that. She did her job perfectly and made Hermione look absolutely amazing. By the time they got to the manicure, Hermione let go all control and just decided to enjoy the experience. It was actually calming her down greatly. She was relaxing for the first time in a long time. She chose a kind of nail polish that, when you put it on, it lasts for months at a time. This nail polish changes color with your mood. Hermione thought this was the coolest thing ever so she put some on and bought a bottle for herself, which, surprisingly, wasn't a lot of money.

Now all that was left was Hermione's hair. The Veela washed it and combed it out.

"Ah, sa magnifique! Sa beau!" The Veela chimed, looking at Hermione's hair with fascinated eyes. Hermione looked up at her, confused.

"What is?" from the little French she understood, she could translate what she said.

"Your 'air! Eet's beautiful, Madame! But, uh, can I give you my personal opinion?" The Veela asked her. Hermione nodded.

"Sure." She said lightly.

"Your facial structure ees perfect for short 'air! 'Ave you ever thought of cutting eet?" The Veela inquired. Hermione blinked. She'd always had long hair. Her mother never allowed her to cut it short ever.

"Uh…no, I haven't." Hermione admitted truthfully. The Veela smiled and handed her a magazine with short hairstyles for woman.

"Eef you like any styles in here, I'd be 'appy to cut eet in the style you like. Short 'air is my specialty." She said excitedly. Hermione gave her a smile, kind of excited as well. As the Veela walked away to grab her equipment for cutting hair, Hermione flipped through the magazine. She quickly found a hairstyle she loved. It was a pixie cut, which was very common with Muggle Hairstyles. She decided to try something new. She felt a little bit of a rebel, actually. She was so excited.

The Veela walked over to her and smiled, putting the instruments down on the table.

"'Ave you found an 'airstyle you like?" she asked. Hermione nodded, beaming.

"Yes, I have." She showed her the hairstyle she wanted. The Veela beamed back at her.

"Ah, a wonderful choice, Madame! Let's get to work!" The Veela waved her wand and made the book stand up in front of her in mid-air. She grabbed her scissors and started cutting Hermione's hair.

About twenty minutes later, the Veela finished her work and turned Hermione around to face the mirror. Hermione stared at her new haircut, totally shocked for a moment before a smile lit her face. All of her bushy hair was gone. It was now cropped short and it looked absolutely amazing. It brought out the shape of her face and the length of her neck. It made her look elegant. Her hair was shorter than ear length, but not boyishly short and her bangs swept along her forehead perfectly. She looked so gorgeous with her makeup done and eyebrows waxed and her hair done like that. She thought about how much this new do would impress Ron and then she remembered that she and Ron weren't even talking. She touched her short hair, dazed.

"Do you like eet?" the Veela asked. Hermione heard her voice and quickly nodded, snapping out of her façade.

"Yes, I love it." Hermione said, giving her a stunning smile. She got up and the Veela smiled at her.

"Oh, girls, come look! You 'ave to see 'ow this one turned out!" she said. All the girls looked over and saw Hermione. The amount of squealing was almost too much for Hermione's ears to handle and suddenly every Veela and human girl was over there, touching her hair, giving her compliment after compliment. Hermione beamed at them all, not sure what to say. That's when it happened. The bell on the door tinkled.

"Yoo-hoo! Elizabeth! Make me beautiful, darling!" a voice sounded in the shop. Hermione froze, her smile melting from her face. She'd heard that voice before…it couldn't be…

The circle of girls opened and Hermione's stomach dropped from her body. There she stood in her designer traveling cloak and dragon-skin boots: Adalie.

As soon as Adalie saw Hermione, her whole face changed. Hermione stared at Adalie, not sure what to do. An indescribable loath-filled silence filled the room. It felt as though it was pressing in on Hermione's chest. The air was heavy and people didn't know what to do.

Adalie moved first. Her face transformed into a sly smirk.

"Oh, isn't this cute? The losers came to attempt to make themselves look beautiful." She said in the sickly sweet way that made Hermione want to slit her throat.

"At least we don't have to make ourselves look beautiful on the inside, like some people I know." Ginny spit at her harshly. Adalie smirked at her but soon returned her attention to Hermione, who stood in the middle of all of them, ridged as a board. Adalie's eyes danced with satisfaction.

"I see you got your hair cut, Mudblood. But I think they took a little too much off your bangs. It's not enough to hide your ugly face." Adalie snarled wittily. Hermione felt fire rise up in her gut but was soon distracted by Angelina and Katie, who leapt at Adalie, screaming at her at the top of their lungs. Luna and a couple Veelas restrained them.

"How _dare _you!" Katie hollered.

"You _BITCH! _You can't come in here and say that to her!" Angelina roared.

"She's twice as pretty as you'll ever be, you skanky Munter!" Ginny shouted, clenching her fists. The Veelas gasped. Munter was a very derogatory word that was only used in extreme situations. It meant the person was "ugly as sin." Adalie's face twitched and she stepped towards Ginny, taking her wand out. Hermione stepped in front of Ginny protectively, glaring at Adalie, who froze on the spot.

"You need to leave." Hermione said through clenched teeth. Adalie quickly recovered and got that stubborn look in her eyes.

"No. Why should I? You're the one who should leave, Mudblood. You don't deserve to be here." Adalie spit at her. Hermione stood there, trying to remain calm. She sighed and grabbed her coat.

"Fine. I'll leave," Hermione said simply. She refused to look at anyone. "I knew this was a horrible idea." She muttered. She strode right past Adalie and towards the door. Before she could leave, Adalie turned around, absolutely furious that she wasn't taking her bate.

"Oh yeah, just walk away, you cowardly ponce! Why don't you stand here and fight?" Adalie yelled, holding her wand out at her. Hermione didn't even turn around.

"Because I don't want to fight you, Adalie. I want you to leave me and my family alone." Hermione said calmly.

"HA! What family?" Adalie sniggered. Hermione took a deep breath, feeling hatred bubble inside her. She quickly left out the door, not bother putting her coat on. She heard someone walk out after her. "Hey! Get back here, Mudblood. Stand and fight!" Adalie yelled at her. Hermione quickly went to Disapperate but she felt a hand grab onto her arm. Hermione's mind quickly became jumbled and her destination part of the Disappearation was slightly askew.

A few seconds later, the two of them landed in a field of grass on the outskirts of what seemed to be the Burrow. Hermione recognized it as the field that separated Luna's house from the Weasley's house. Hermione turned around and saw Adalie standing a few feet away, holding her wand out at her. Hermione began to slowly back away as Adalie advanced. Adalie laughed at her, smiling evilly at Hermione.

"You pompous idiot," Adalie started. "Did you actually think you could avoid a fight with me?" she asked. Hermione continued to back away.

"No, of course not. I knew this fight would come eventually." Hermione said carefully as she sidestepped Adalie.

"Then take out your wand, Mudblood! Let us duel! The best woman wins the man!" Adalie pressed, grinning. Hermione shook her head.

"I don't want to fight anymore." She said as she continued to back away, staring at her. Adalie's smile melted. She raised her wand.

"_Stupefy!" _she yelled. A red jet of light shot out of the tip of her wand. Hermione jumped out of the way, her eyes widening.

"No. Stop it. I don't want to fight." Hermione said firmly. But Adalie kept coming closer.

"You retarded skank! _Incarcerous!" _Thick ropes flew out of Adalie's wand and towards Hermione. Hermione ducked again. "Fight me! Let's settle this once and for all!"

"No." Hermione continued to say, her heart beating fast in her chest. She couldn't fight. She wasn't a witch. She couldn't use spells anymore.

"_Petrificus Totalus!" _Adalie kept firing spell after spell at Hermione. Hermione was starting to become very angry. All the hatred and frustration and loathing that she'd been holding in for so long was building up inside her. She couldn't take it anymore. Hermione whipped out her wand and pointed it at Adalie. Adalie froze, branching her wand as Hermione continued to back away.

"You kissed him…" Hermione growled. "You tried to seduce him into sleeping with you-,"

"And if you hadn't interrupted, I would have succeeded." Adalie sneered. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"You are not to go near him ever again." Hermione snarled. Adalie laughed at her heartily.

"Oh _please! _No amount of threatening will work on me, Granger!" Adalie jeered. Hermione glared her down.

"I was afraid this might happen," Hermione said quietly. She felt the hatred pulsating in her brain. "But I guess it was going to happen anyways."

"So," Adalie said quietly. "…shall we duel?" she asked. Hermione looked at Adalie and held up her wand, showing the beginning of the bow to begin the duel.

"We shall duel." Hermione said. Adalie grinned and held her wand up as well. They bowed to one another and then they pointed their wands at each other…and the battle began.

Jets of light in every color you could imagine shot out of Adalie and Hermione's wands. They swirled around one another. Sounds of snaps and crackles filled the open air of the field as they dueled to the death. Adalie was more vicious with the spell-casting while Hermione was more precise. She caught Adalie many times. All those days at Hogwarts, learning different defensive spells from textbooks and classes and all those days in DA were rushing into Hermione's head. Hermione felt alive for the first time in a very long time. She could feel this power building up inside her, a power that she knew couldn't be controlled. That power was the restraint of all she had been holding back. She felt an immeasurable amount of strength build up inside her body. The power pulsated through her veins like blood. She saw Adalie stumble back and suddenly everything was clear. She felt the strength, the restrained emotions, the real and raw power that was radiating from her body. Hermione's body arched inwards as though she was crunching into a ball and then suddenly, Hermione let everything go.

A sound equivalent to a thunder burst sounded in the open field and a blazing white light blinded Adalie, who was far away from Hermione. The grass flattened into the ground and the air whooshed around the open field as though they were in a cyclone. Adalie was knocked clear off her feet as she screamed in utter terror. The power that radiated from Hermione was so strong that she couldn't even sit up. Adalie laid flat on her stomach, not able to move.

A light shone brightly from Hermione's entire body as her hair whipped around her face. The suppressed magic that was inside her was coming out of her in huge title waves of incredible power that glued Adalie to the ground. Hermione stood there, strong, holding her arms out as though directing a storm right at Adalie. The wind howled in their ears, whipping leaves and grass everywhere. It was so deafening that people would hear it for miles around. And then suddenly, with one last burst of blinding white light, everything fell completely and utterly silent.

Hermione Granger stood in the open field. The grass had all uprooted, laying on the ground. Dirt was strewn everywhere. A massive circular shape of the field was torn up where Hermione had cast the powerful magic. Adalie sat in the shambles of the field, far away from where Hermione stood. Leaves fell softly from the air and landed on the ground and the last bit of wind died down.

After a moment of taking in what just happened, Hermione started to make her way towards Adalie slowly. She felt a new side to herself had been opened. She felt amazing. She felt well. She felt _whole. _Hermione was unstoppable and she knew that. She was Hermione Granger, the smartest witch of her age.

A trembling Adalie laid in the field, frightened for her life as Hermione came to stand beside her, looking down at her. Adalie peeked up at Hermione, her face looking as frightened as she felt. Adalie couldn't move or speak. Hermione simply peered down at her with a calm but strong expression on her face. Hermione pointed her wand at Adalie and Adalie started to inch away from her.

"P-please…please don't kill me." Adalie pleaded, her voice shaking with fear. Hermione stared down at her.

"I'm not going to kill you," Hermione said, her voice clear and strong. Adalie gazed up at her, shaking violently. Hermione continued to point her wand at Adalie. She took a deep breath. "_Turpiculus Transfiguro." _She said. A silver light washed over Adalie's face. It suddenly began transforming into a new face. Hermione watched as Adalie's face transformed into her own.

Seconds past and suddenly, there were two Hermione Grangers in that field. The real Hermione summoned a mirror and held it out so Adalie, who had turned into Hermione, could see her reflection. It was the old Hermione, with crooked teeth, bushy hair and an overall plain appearance. Adalie let out a screech of horror, her eyes wide, horrified.

"Now you know how it feels to be like me…to be ugly," Hermione said. Adalie stared at her, shocked. Hermione knelt down. "You kissed my fiancée, you threatened my life and the life of my family, and you endangered your own family." Hermione said.

"How did I do that? Oh!" Adalie slapped her hand over her mouth as Hermione's voice sounded from her lips. She was horrified. Hermione felt a tiny ounce of satisfaction leak onto her face.

"You set Draco on me. That night at the Engagement party. You had him under the Imperius curse," Hermione said plainly. Adalie's mouth opened and closed but no sound came out. "I can't believe you were that thick. I know a curse when I see one. Plus, I know that he'd never ever come onto me." Hermione told her. Adalie looked furious. Hermione looked around the field and sighed. "I don't have much time, actually. Some people are going to come and get you." She said.

"W-W-What?! What do you mean?!" Adalie exclaimed, her eyes wide with terror. Hermione smirked.

"Well, you see, the Ministry has had this spell on Hermione Granger. It's kind of like the Trace that breaks at seventeen that shows when you use magic outside of a wizardry school establishment. And since Hermione Granger-," Hermione gestured to Adalie. "-used magic, they're going to come and get her, since Hermione Granger is on the top of the list to be captured and sent to Azkaban." Hermione explained. Adalie's eyes widened even more, her mouth hanging open.

"Y-Y-You WOULDN'T!" Adalie shrieked. A smile lit Hermione's face.

"Oh, but I would." Hermione stood up from her crouched position as Adalie began to freak out.

"You can't do this! You can't! They'll figure it out! They aren't stupid!" Adalie yelled at her frantically, trying to get up. Hermione pointed her wand at her, which made her freeze immediately.

"They won't though. I've set the spell to break until after the trial and imprisonment. Well, actually, now that I think about it, there will be no trial. They'll just send Hermione Granger to Azkaban…so, I guess you won't have to be in this horrendous body for very long." Hermione smiled down sweetly at her.

"NO! THIS CAN'T HAPPEN TO ME! ONCE THEY SEE I'M NOT YOU, THEY'LL COME AFTER YOU AND SEND ME BACK!" Adalie hollered. Hermione laughed, the sound shocking her, but truthfully, she was so incredibly happy.

"Do you honestly think they'll check on you after they send you to Azkaban? They won't. And knowing what I've done, it'll be an incredibly long life-sentence for you." Hermione told her. Adalie growled, wanting to attack her. Hermione simply continued to point her wand at her. "Well, Adalie, I hope this goes to show you that messing with me was the wrong thing to do. I'm sorry you had to learn this way but you picked the wrong person to steal a boyfriend from," Hermione said, stepping over Adalie, keeping her wand at the ready. "It just goes to show you that I may be ugly and I may be a bookworm, but I am still a member of the House of Godric Gryffindor," Hermione said proudly. "I'm Hermione Granger, Adalie. And no one messes with Hermione Granger." Hermione gave her one last smile that only Hermione could do and Disapperated into the Burrow, in her bedroom.

Hermione looked out the window as Adalie, who still looked like her, stood up, looking around for her wildly. Suddenly, there was a crack and a ton of Ministry guards, including Adolf and Umbridge suddenly appeared in a circle around her, pointing their wands at her. Hermione could hear them shouting at her to get on the ground and Hermione listened closely to the voices as Adalie screamed in fear.

"Stop! I'm not Hermione Granger! This is a spell! The real Hermione put a spell on me to make me look like this!" Adalie shrieked. The guard pushed her down.

"Oh please!" a guard said. "The last trace of magic from your wand came from right here!" he said.

"No! I don't have her wand! See, look!" Adalie held out her own wand. A guard snatched it from her hands.

"Very convincing, Granger," Adolf sneered sarcastically. "You threw it away because you knew we were coming and that's just an extra."

"NO! You don't understand! Search the ground! It's not there!" Adalie pleaded.

"I'm not going to search for something that you could have destroyed! This is payback! No one can escape the Minister and get away with it!" Adolf said proudly. He snapped at the guard. "Get her up."

"NO! PLEASE! MINISTER! I'M NOT HERMIONE GRANGER!" Adalie screamed, struggling as the two guards grabbed her and pulled her to her feet.

"Oh, just _shut up_!" Adolf hollered. Everyone fell quiet in anticipation. He pulled out his wand and Adalie screamed.

"DON'T KILL ME! PLEASE!" She pleaded. Adolf glared at her and she shut up.

"I'm not going to kill you. I'm simply taking of the Trace on you." Adolf said. He swished his wand and at the Burrow, Hermione felt a tingly sensation come over her body and then a certain heaviness in her brain disappeared. Hermione grinned as Adalie struggled.

"THAT'S IT?! NO TRIAL?! I DON'T GET A SAY?!" Adalie yelled in dismay. Adolf stowed his wand in his robes.

"Nope. No trial, no say. You, Hermione Granger, are hereby sentenced to a life-sentence in Azkaban prison for a Muggle-Born status and the attempted murder of the Minister of Magic and his secretary." Adolf finished. Adalie's eyes widened as the guards turned her around, getting ready to Disapperate. Adalie and Hermione's eyes met one last time. Hermione, from the window, smiled at Adalie and waved goodbye to her. Hermione saw Adalie's mouth open to scream at her and then Adalie, along with the guards, Umbridge and Adolf disappeared, never to be seen again, leaving the real and a very satisfied Hermione Granger safe and sound in the walls of the Burrow.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five~ Old friends and offers

"_Mudblood Hermione Granger captured by Ministry!_

_ "In recent days, Hermione Granger, the only Muggle-Born to ever escape the Muggle-Born Registration Co-mission was put in Azkaban prison today for many crimes that she had committed on the Ministry of Magic. We know that Granger was on the top of the list of Muggle-Borns to capture, so this day came with great satisfaction for all involved._

_ "She was a tricky one, but we managed to nab her eventually," Adolf Xavier explains to Daily Prophet reported Rita Skeeter. "She'll rot in Azkaban and pay for what she did to the Wizarding world." _

_ "But, just yesterday, a huge mass of people from the Ministry of Magic went on strike because of the imprisonment of Hermione Granger. The Ministry of Magic is looking at closing down due to the strike and today, the Wizengmot is holding another trial to discuss new election possibilities. _

_ "Could this be a new beginning for the Ministry of Magic? Could Adolf Xavier be elected out of office? Could the Muggle-Born Registration Co-mission be put to rest? Well, the whole Wizarding world will have to wait and see."_

Hermione set down that day's addition of the _Daily Prophet_ and felt a smile creep up her face. It had been a couple days since the incident outside the Burrow. Hermione was glad it was finally over. The Ministry would never come looking for her ever again, her family wasn't in danger, she could live life without worry and finally move on.

When the others had asked what happened with her and Adalie, Hermione simply said that she was never coming back again. Everyone was satisfied with that answer and when they saw the paper that morning, every one of them figured out what had happened and were thrilled with Hermione's cleverness once again. Everything seemed to be going absolutely swimmingly now; everything except Ron. Hermione hadn't seen Ron in days. Now that Adalie was gone, she could finally let go of what happened and she just wanted to talk with him. But she knew that she was still prideful so she'd never go to him. He'd have to come to her.

There was a knock on Hermione's bedroom door. Hermione turned around.

"Come in." she called. The door opened and Ginny stood there with a smile on her face. Everyone was still incredibly happy from the realization of the fate of Adalie and it showed on everyone's faces.

"An owl just came for you," Ginny said. "Professor McGonagall wanted to talk to you about something but she can't leave Hogwarts. She says someone will let you in through the gates." She said. Hermione nodded.

"Okay, thanks." Hermione smiled and grabbed her coat. "How are you feeling?" she asked. Last night, Hermione was up with Ginny, who seemed to have caught some sort of bug and had been throwing up all into the night. Harry had tried to stay up with her but he got queasy himself when he saw how sick she was getting and Hermione just ended up staying with her.

"I feel fine now. Perfectly normal." Ginny told her truthfully. Hermione's eyebrows pulled together thoughtfully.

"Hmm. Maybe it was one of those one-day bugs." She pondered. Ginny shrugged.

"Maybe. We'll never know, I guess. Anyway, you'd better get going. McGonagall's on a tight schedule and you know how bitter she gets when people are tardy." Ginny said. Hermione nodded quickly and went with Ginny downstairs and out of the Burrow where she Disapperated to the gates of Hogwarts. She was met by a woman who looked vaguely familiar but she couldn't figure out why. She was a pretty witch in her early twenties that wore beautiful emerald green robes and she had long blonde hair that she kept up in a bun. She had lovely kind blue eyes that sparkled brightly. The lady smiled at Hermione as she opened the gates with a flick of her wand.

"Hello Miss Granger," the lady said. She stowed her wand away and held out her hand to her. Hermione took and shook her hand. "My name is Pearl Thompson. I'm the new Muggle Studies teacher. I was told to come and get you and bring you to Professor McGonagall." Pearl told her with a smile. Hermione smiled back at her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Thompson." Hermione said as she and Pearl started walking into Hogwarts. "I'm sorry, but I feel like I've seen you before. Do I know you?" Hermione asked. Pearl gave her a smile as they walked.

"Well, you did, yes. I went to school with you." Pearl told her. Hermione's eyebrows pulled together.

"At Hogwarts?" Hermione asked her. Pearl shook her head.

"No. In London. I lived across the street from you. We went to preschool together and part of grade one before you left. I got my letter at the same time that you did but I was a year behind you at Hogwarts. I was in Ravenclaw." Pearl explained. Hermione's eyes lightened with understanding as the pair of them traveled up the stairs.

"Pearl! Pearl Thompson. I remember you! You're the girl who got your hair dipped in a bottle of ink by Evan! And they'd chase you around the courtyard, calling you-…" Hermione stopped talking, remembering how horrible those boys were to Pearl.

"Pippy Piccolo Pearl," Pearl nodded, trying to mask her face with a smile. They called her Pippy Pearl because her voice was so high and squeaky; an attribute that she'd grown into quite well. She was teased about it all the time when she was little. Now it just added to her personality. "Yes. I remember that. I also remember them teasing you. That was horrible of them to do to you." Pearl said with empathy. Hermione shrugged, trying to direct attention away from her past.

"It's no big deal. I've forgotten about it." Hermione lied. The two of them rounded the corner where they saw Professor McGonagall standing there, smiling at the two of them. Hermione smiled back at her when they came close.

"Well, I do hope that we get to spend more time together, Miss. Granger." Pearl smiled. Hermione smiled back. "I'll see you later." She said before leaving McGonagall and Hermione alone together. Hermione turned to her.

"Hello Miss Granger. It's lovely to see you again." McGonagall said crisply, smiling. Hermione beamed at her.

"It's lovely to see you too," She said happily. McGonagall gestured for them to walk and they began to walk side by side slowly. "What did you need me for, Professor?"

"Well Miss Granger, I have a little bit of a problem that I was hoping you could help me fix," McGonagall began. Hermione waited, looking at her patiently. "You see, since I became Headmistress, I had to work two different jobs: being a Transfiguration teacher and running this school and as much as I love teaching Transfiguration, I'm getting to the age where I can't do both." She explained to Hermione. Hermione nodded quietly, understanding. "So, Miss Granger, I'm here to offer you my old job as Transfiguration teacher." She finished. Hermione's eyes widened. She stared at McGonagall, trying to see if there was any joke in her eyes.

"…Are…Are you serious?" Hermione asked her. McGonagall raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed I am, Miss Granger. As serious as I normally am." McGonagall said. Hermione felt a smile grow on her face. She couldn't believe it.

"But, Professor, I haven't gotten my teaching degree yet and I haven't graduated! How can you be so sure that I'll be a worthy replacement?" Hermione asked her.

"I have it all set up, Miss Granger. I will give you a packet to complete so you can be finished your schooling, like I gave Mr. Potter. Besides, I've seen the way you work, Miss Granger. I know that you'll be an amazing teacher." She said with a smile. Hermione still couldn't believe she'd do this.

"But Professor, what about an interview? Recommendations? Experience? Credentials? What about-?" McGonagall held up her hand to stop her.

"I don't need an interview. I've taught you for seven years. You'll get experience by doing this job. I don't care about credentials. I only care about whether you'll do the job with precision and care, which I have no doubt you will. As for recommendations, I have had many people recommend you for the teacher." McGonagall said to Hermione. Hermione's eyebrows raised in shock.

"…Wow, Professor… I-I don't know what to say." Hermione said softly.

"Well then, say you'll take the job!" McGonagall said sharply. Hermione looked at her and smiled brightly.

"Of course I'll take the job! Thank you so much, Professor!" Hermione squeaked exuberantly. McGonagall smiled at her.

"Very good! Now, I'll give you the work package when you're ready to leave. I have no doubt in my mind that you can finish it before you get married. You have several months. You can start the job whenever you get back from your honeymoon." McGonagall said quickly. Hermione felt a little bit of herself die inside.

"…Uh, Professor… I might not be getting married." Hermione told her. McGonagall looked at her with sharp eyes.

"And why wouldn't you?" she asked. Hermione shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, it's complicated." She said. McGonagall sighed, as though she was teaching a First Year how to hold a wand.

"Miss Granger, if I may say so, leave the complications behind. If you do indeed love Mr. Weasley than I suggest you do something about it. Love is something to be cherished." McGonagall said quietly but with a stern voice. Hermione looked at her and noticed something in the back of her old eyes.

"Professor-,"

"No more talking, now. Everything I have said will be taken into effect. Now, I do believe that someone else has been waiting to talk to you." McGonagall said. She held out her hand and Hermione looked at what she was gesturing to. Hermione hadn't noticed that they were in the Astronomy tower until now. McGonagall was pointing to the opening that led onto the Astronomy tower. Hermione looked at the door and then turned to look at McGonagall but she was gone. Hermione raised an eyebrow and turned to open the door. She pushed it open and walked inside. Hermione halted, her eyes wide at the sight in front of her.

Ron was standing in the middle of the Astronomy tower, underneath a sign that read "I'm sorry." He held a bunch of carnations in his hands, Hermione's favorite flowers and he had dressed up nicely. There were beautiful lights decorating the tower all around him and beautiful twinkling stars that hovered in the air above their heads. It was a gorgeous sight.

Hermione slowly walked forwards, looking around in awe. She looked back at Ron, who was staring at her with his soft green eyes. She met eyes with him and she suddenly couldn't speak. It was as though he stole the words from her mouth. The two of them stood in silence for a moment, staring at one another before Ron spoke.

"Wow…" he said. "…You look beautiful." Ron hadn't seen her with her new hair yet. She looked different and definitely prettier than she had before. Hermione didn't speak. She couldn't yet. Ron took a few steps forward. "Hermione… I'm sorry. You don't know how sorry I am. I never wanted to hurt you in any way. You mean the world to me. I can't imagine what I'd be without you. Well, I can. I take that back. I'd be dead without you. Hermione, you saved my life so many times in more ways than you know. I owe you everything. I'll never meet anyone else that I love as much as I love you. You're the smartest, most beautiful woman I know and I never want to be with anyone else ever. I only want you. I promise I'll treat you the way you've always deserved. You deserve everything and I hope I can give you that.

"Adalie was nothing. I never wanted her. I hope you can forgive me. I know I don't deserve you but I don't want to be without you. And I love you. I just really love you." Hermione could tell that he was running out of things to say. His eyes were getting more and more panicked because she hadn't responded yet. Finally, in mid-sentence, Hermione strode up to Ron and grabbed him, kissing him on the lips full-on, closing her eyes. She put her arms around her neck and kissed him with all the passion and love that she felt inside. Ron responded after a moment of shock and he wound his arms around her waist, pulling her close. He lifted her off her feet and kissed her back just as enthusiastically.

It seemed like hours when they pulled back to look at each other. Hermione looked into his green eyes and found the words she'd been biting back after all these months.

"I love you, Ron," she said softly. "I'm so sorry for everything. I'm sorry for doubting you, I'm sorry for being such a prideful idiot and I'm sorry for throwing your ring in the dirt." She said, trying not to think about all the pain she'd caused him as well. "I didn't mean anything I said. I love you. I haven't stopped loving you. I couldn't do that even if I tried. I guess, as corny as this sounds, you…complete me." Hermione admitted, looking at him, her cheeks going red. Ron gave her a smile, stroking her cheek. After a moment, he took out a ring box from his pocket. He opened the lid to reveal her Engagement ring. Hermione smiled at the sight of the ring she thought she'd never see again.

"Will you marry me, Hermione Granger?" Ron asked for a second time in his life. Hermione smiled brightly and nodded.

"Yes. A million times yes." Hermione said excitedly. She flung her arms around his shoulders and kissed him hard, engraining this moment in her head. Hermione knew that no matter how horrible she could feel, she'd always have this memory to bring her back.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty Six~ P.M.S

Weeks past and now it was a week before the wedding would take place. Everyone scented the tension in the air. People knew that this would be the hardest time for them. They were braced for almost anything, really.

Hermione wasn't concerned with the wedding right now. She was finishing her schoolwork for McGonagall. At the moment, she was completely immersed in a potions essay. She sat at the kitchen table, peering into the depths of her cauldron at a perfectly brewed potion that she made fifteen minutes previous. She scribbled down on her parchment and heard a sound from upstairs: a door slamming. Then she heard voices.

"_Fine! _Don't come with me! You'll regret it!" Ginny screamed. Hermione turned around to see a red-faced Ginny coming down the stairs. Ginny met her gaze and her face melted a little. She sighed angrily and she left out the door, slamming the door too. A sharp crack sound came from outside. Seconds later, Harry came down the stairs, looking frazzled.

"Ginny!" He called. That's when he saw Hermione sitting there, perfectly ignorant of the situation. Harry looked at Hermione with a sheepish look on his face and sighed. Hermione raised her eyebrow at him.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked him, kind of scared to ask. Harry ran his hand through his hair.

"Hermione, can I ask you some questions about woman?" Harry asked. Hermione pursed her lips but nodded. She gestured to the chair across from her. Harry sat down quickly and leaned his face in his hands, resting his elbows on the table. "…Okay. So, Ginny has been acting a little odd lately, if you haven't noticed. Do you know what I'm talking about?" he asked. Hermione shrugged.

"Well, sort of. There have been a lot of crazy things happening to her lately." Hermione said.

"Exactly. But do you know why she's so…cranky all the time?" Harry inquired. You could see in his eyes that he really was so confused and needed answers. Hermione sighed and leaned forward a little, pushing her bubbling cauldron aside slightly.

"She could be going through P.M.S. You do know what that is, right?" Hermione said. Harry nodded quickly.

"Whoa. I didn't think about that. I thought it was something I did." Harry said with relief.

"Well, it could be set off by something y0u did. Why did she storm out? Where's she going?" Hermione asked him. Harry ran his hand through his hair.

"She's going to sign up for the National Quidditch League at the International Quidditch Association. I didn't want her to sign up so close to the wedding. I wanted to get a job so I could pay for her application to the program, but…she decided to go ahead with it." He sounded angry. His teeth were clenching together a little. Hermione looked at him sympathetically.

"Unfortunately for you and Ron, Harry, you both decided to marry two very independent women. If we want something done at a certain time, we won't hesitate to do it. I know it's going to be difficult but both you and Ron have to realize that we aren't going to stick by you for every little thing," she explained. "Just because you're a couple doesn't mean that you and Ginny are going to be joined at the hip. The best thing about Ron and I is the fact that we enjoy totally different things. I enjoy working and reading and learning while he enjoys playing around, being lazy, etc. We get time apart to do what we love to do and we still come back to each other and talk about it later. But it's going to be more difficult for you and Ginny, seeing as you enjoy the same things and it'll be different trying to work things out like that." Hermione said. Harry pondered that.

"So, what should I do? Should I tell her that I'm fine with the Quidditch thing?" Harry asked. Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"_Are_ you fine with it?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head.

"Not really."

"Then why lie?" Hermione asked curiously. Harry looked at her, confused for a moment. Then his face cleared.

"Hermione, guys lie to their girls more often than you think just to please them." Harry told her honestly. Hermione looked at him with incredulous eyes.

"But why? This is what I don't understand about guys. Why do you lie to us?" she asked him. Harry looked at his hands, which were on the table. He looked at his wedding ring.

"Well, for instance, I've noticed that Ginny has been gaining weight lately. But when she asks me whether I think she's gained weight, I tell her she hasn't and that it's just her eyes playing tricks on her." Harry explained. Hermione opened her mouth to object but he raised a hand to stop her. "I did this because I didn't want her to feel bad about herself. Plus, I think she looks fine either way. I just noticed, as a guy, that she'd been gaining weight. Guys look at the body a lot more than the looks. It's just how we're programed." He said.

"I understand that but you didn't answer the question." Hermione said quickly, trying to get him to the point.

"Well, do you think it's better to lie to someone to make them feel better than have to make them feel like crap?" Harry asked.

"You're asking the wrong person, Harry." Hermione said with a raised eyebrow. "I'm a blunt person. Ginny even more so."

"Well, I know," Harry said stiffly. He tried to figure out a way to make her understand. "She always gets angry or sad if I tell her something she really doesn't want to know, even if she asks me to tell the truth. So why bother telling the truth if you end up sleeping on the couch later anyway?" Harry asked her. Hermione pondered this for a moment.

"Hmm…I've never thought about it that way. But I guess you're right." Hermione said thoughtfully. Harry sat back, staring at her in wonder.

"Wow, this is a milestone; you telling people they're right." Harry smiled at her goofily as he ducked her hand, which swung to hit his head.

"Oh, leave me alone. You guys are right most of the time," Hermione gave him. Harry raised an eyebrow. "…I'm just right a lot more of the time." she finished. Harry grinned at her. "Anyway Harry, do you want my opinion on this?" she asked.

"Yes, oh fountain of knowledge." Harry said with a smile. He was just glad to have the old Hermione back. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Go after her. Tell her that you were wrong and that you'd be happy to help her get into the Quidditch Leagues and that you'll coach her personally." Hermione told him. Harry arched an eyebrow again with a grin on his face.

"But Hermione, you just told me not to lie to her." Harry said. Hermione leaned forward, smiling.

"Harry, if this is indeed P.M.S that we're talking about, I think that's the safest option. I'm just looking out for your health and well-being. Besides-," Hermione patted Harry's cheek. "We wouldn't want your pretty face all bruised for the wedding, now would we?" Harry grinned at her and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks Hermione. I'll see you later." Harry told her and quickly left the Burrow, chasing after Ginny.

When Hermione turned back to her potion, she heard Angelina Johnston and George come down the stairs. They were chatting quietly, Angelina laughing at whatever joke George was telling her. They didn't notice Hermione sitting at the table, so they walked right by. Angelina stood by the door and smiled shyly at George as he helped her into her jacket. Hermione heard her say she had a great time and then Hermione looked around just in time to see George swoop in and kiss her on the lips. Hermione beamed. Angelina had had a crush on George for years now and it was becoming more and more serious up until this point. Now it was official.

After a few seconds, George pulled back, smiled at Angelina and they said goodbye. Angelina left out the door and Apperated home. George turned around, looking dazed, but extremely happy. That's when he saw Hermione. He stared for a moment and then he blinked as Hermione smiled innocently at him.

"Hey. You two have a good time?" Hermione quoted him with a wink. George's ears went scarlet and he smiled cheekily.

"Not a word to anyone, understood?" George said.

"Hey, she can't keep secrets from her Fiancé, can she?" Ron's voice said. Hermione turned to see Ron sitting in the living room beside the door in an armchair, reading the latest Quidditch magazine. Both George and Hermione flushed brightly. He had overheard both conversations.

Helpless, George didn't answer his brother and bolted upstairs. Ron laughed and went over to Hermione, grinning at her.

"Anymore secrets I should be worried about? Is Charlie having a love affair with Seamus or something crazy like that?" he asked. Hermione laughed at him.

"Of course not. Besides, it's just George. They were bound to get together sometime, don't you think?" Hermione said.

"Uh…no. I didn't think that they would, actually." Ron admitted. Hermione rolled her eyes and continued to stir her potion.

"Honestly Ronald, it's like you notice nothing sometimes."

"Hey, I notice things! I'm just not as smart as you." Ron grumbled, sitting at the table. Hermione sighed, somewhat impatiently.

"It has nothing to do with your intellect level, Ron. You know, I never thought you'd have noticed me flirting with you if it weren't for your hormones. Sometimes it's good that you aren't so attuned to certain things. But it took you long enough to figure that out, didn't it?" Hermione said with a little arrogance in her voice as she stirred her cauldron and measured just the right amount of potion out on a spoon to look at up close. Ron stared at her, trying desperately to understand what she was talking about.

"Well, yeah, you didn't exactly make it easy. I thought you were just being crazy half the time." Ron told her honestly. Hermione focused on Ron for a moment, kind of intrigued.

"…Ron, when exactly did you realize I was flirting with you?" Hermione asked him. Ron shrugged, desperately trying to think back.

"Er… well, I remember there was that time when you kissed my cheek during the fifth year. But that was just because I was nervous. And, uh, I remember after Lavender and I broke up, we kind of…well, I guess we kind of hit off. And when we were on the run, it just seemed to get a little…well, you know, the flirting seemed a lot…um-,"

"More prophesying?" Hermione finished. Ron looked puzzled for a moment before Hermione sighed. "It means it became more pronounced."

"Ah. Yeah, that's it." Ron told her. Although Hermione was slightly disappointed with herself for not making her flirtatious attempts more "prophesying", she knew that Ron and, really, any other boy didn't notice when girls flirted with them. So she didn't take it to heart.

Hermione quickly scribbled down her findings on her essay and looked back at Ron, who was waiting patiently for her to respond in some way. Hermione put her quill down and looked at Ron with a smile on her face.

"Well, I'm glad you started noticing when you did. It was precisely the right time for you to notice." Hermione told him. Ron was confused.

"Wait. Did you flirt with me before I figured it out?" Ron asked. Hermione swallowed and had a little flashback to the nights in her dorm before the Yule ball when she'd put on her dress and only think about what Ron would think. That night was everything. It was her chance to look beautiful to Ron for the first time since they'd become friends. He couldn't see it before, obviously. She was so plain. But all Hermione could think about was making an impression on Ron for once. And even after Ron almost asked her to go with "one of us" (meaning either Harry or Ron), Hermione still couldn't gather the courage to say yes. She would have rather gone with Ron to the Yule ball but Victor Krum seemed the best choice since Ron was so oblivious to her feelings for him, which only grew stronger as the years went on. Hermione's fourth year was really the beginning of it all. All the pointless rows and arguments over little pieces of nothing, all the word-play, all the teasing and verbal jousting was all leading up to romance that Hermione had discovered in her fourth year at Hogwarts. She was just starting to understand how powerful this kind of crush could actually be.

"Hermione?" Ron brought her out of her little flashback, waving his large hand in front of her face. Hermione blinked and her eyes unclouded. She quickly put a smile on her face.

"Well, I guess you'll never know." Hermione teased. As she let that sink into Ron's mind, she picked up her wand and swished it to make the contents of the cauldron disappear and the cauldron transport back into her room. Hermione stood up, shut her potion's textbook, grabbed her essay, an envelope and some wax and a stamp and brought it over to  
the window. She opened the window and looked around for Errol, the Weasley's owl. Ron came up behind her, peering at her with biting curiosity.

"What if I want to know?" Ron asked her, leaning against the counter, trying to get her to look at him. Hermione put the essay inside the envelope, sealed it with the wax, wrote "Professor Minerva McGonagall, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Headmistresses office" on the outside of the envelope.

"Why would you want to know?" she asked as she looked out the window again. "Errol!" she called.

"Because I'm curious." Ron answered.

"Well, curiosity isn't always a good thing, Ronald. Sometimes you just don't need to know things like that." Hermione told him knowingly.

"But I want to-," Ron began to say but Errol flew in the window. Hermione ducked out of the way of the flying bird but it flew right into Ron's chest, knocking him off his feet. "Oof! Errol, you tosspot!" Ron exclaimed from the ground. Hermione giggled, as Errol flew unto Hermione's shoulder. Hermione quickly helped Ron to his feet and turned to give the letter to Errol, putting it in his sharp beak. Ron exhaled as Hermione turned to let him perch on the window.

"Take this to Professor McGonagall at Hogwarts in her office, okay Errol?" Hermione said. When the owl flew off, Hermione put away the envelopes. "What were you saying, Ron?" she asked. Ron looked at her with big eyes.

"Will you please just tell me?" Ron asked her. Hermione sighed heavily and turned around.

"The first time I flirted with you was in our fourth year. There, happy?" Hermione inquired, striding past him to grab her potions book. Ron turned, stuffing his hands in his pocket, feeling a tad stupid.

"Wow… was I really that-?" Ron started.

"Naïve? Yup," Hermione finished. There was a quick silence before Hermione turned around and smirked at Ron. "Ron, you're a guy. I don't hold it against you anymore. When I was younger I thought you weren't returning the flirting because you didn't feel the same way, which could have been true back then, but I'm fine with it now." Hermione assured him. Ron blinked.

"Well, uh-," Ron was trying to think up of some compliment. He felt like he should complement her right now. Hermione saw the look on his face and quickly kissed his lips.

"Don't worry about it, Ron. Seriously, I'm completely over it." she told him. Ron decided to let that be and he chuckled.

"Blimey, Hermione, I never thought you'd react that way. Where are all the silent treatment and the snide remarks?" Ron asked her. Hermione smirked at him.

"Do you remember all the times at Hogwarts when I wouldn't talk to you and everything I said to you was normally some sort of insult?" Hermione inquired, peering up at him. Ron thought back and then nodded. "I got most of my anger out then." She told him. Ron pondered on that for a moment before he grinned at her.

"So, I'm off the hook?" Ron asked her hopefully. Hermione smiled, leaned up and kissed his lips for a moment, just enough to tease him. She pulled back, looking in his eyes. Ron went to go kiss her again but Hermione put her finger to his lips.

"…For now." Hermione said slyly with a flirtatious smile. Hermione turned and walked away, leaving a happily stunned Ron in the living room of the Burrow.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter thirty seven: Memories

The next few days that passed had gone quicker than anyone would have thought possible, the Weasley family along with Harry and Hermione had re-prepared everything that the wedding might need. So far, there were no problems left to worry about and for good reason seeing as the wedding was tomorrow. The wedding dresses were bought, the maid's dresses were delivered, every flower and decoration was ready, the Quidditch field was decorated, and even the two couples were finally getting themselves emotionally prepared for the big day.

They had decided that the flower girls would be Hermione's only living relatives, which were her five year old twin cousins. The ring bearer was going to be Teddy. Teddy had come over yesterday to practise carrying the little pillow and rings. He was now two years old. He was so adorable and Harry was a very proud godparent. Teddy listened to Harry's every word and, even though he was a hyper and energetic two year old, Teddy obeyed Harry perfectly. Harry had full faith that Teddy would take all he was told about his ring bearer job and do it with care. Ginny doubted Teddy for a while, only because of his age, but when she saw him carrying the rings in the Burrow's living room with the utmost care and precision, she decided that it wasn't going to be a catastrophe.

Ginny had given Hermione flying lessons in the weeks before this. It was probably the most frustrating thing Ginny's ever had to do. Hermione was so scared of heights that she hardly flew anywhere to begin with. But, Ginny didn't give up. By the end of this last week, Hermione could fly through the Quidditch rings in the Weasley's backyard with some precision. Ginny didn't have any fears that Hermione would fall off because she'd be holding onto Ron the entire time and Ron would be in control of the broom. Everything seemed to be falling together perfectly. Even if Hermione was internally freaking out.

It came the day of the rehearsal dinner, which was naturally the day before the wedding. Everyone in the wedding party came to Hogwarts and much of the preparation had begun.

Harry and Ron walked over to greet the priest who would be conducting the ceremony. He looked much older and much more experienced than the priest who did Bill and Fleur's wedding, so they felt better about that part of the wedding.

Hermione and Ginny were about to step onto the Quidditch field when Ginny turned and dashed away. Hermione heard quiet retching and knew she was throwing up again. Hermione turned around and followed her. Ginny, who was crouched behind a tree, stood up when she heard Hermione coming and wiped her mouth. She had become paler in the few seconds Hermione had her back turned to her.

Hermione stopped by her side, looking at her. "Are you alright?" she asked her in concern. Ginny leaned against the tree, crossing her arms and Hermione was shocked to see Ginny's eyes fill with tears and Ginny never cried. "What's wrong?" Hermione inquired, now on the verge of panic.

"W-why do all the horrible things happen to me?! Why does it have to be m-my wedding day?!" Ginny cried. Hermione stared at her with shocked eyes. "I'm going to be sick for my wedding!" she said brokenly. Hermione had never seen Ginny so distraught, other than the night that Fred had died. She didn't know what to do.

"I'm sure I can make you a potion for the sickness. I just have to know what it is. Is it the flu?" Hermione asked gently.

"Well, how the bloody hell am I supposed to know?!" Ginny exclaimed angrily, wiping the tears away. Hermione recoiled a little. "I'm not a bloody doctor!"

"…I know that, Ginny. I'm just trying to help." Hermione told her. In that moment, Ginny seemed to snap out of it. She blinked, staring at Hermione's face as though she didn't understand why she reacted that way.

"…I'm sorry, Hermione," Ginny said, kind of in shock. "…I didn't mean to yell at you." she said. Hermione gently squeezed her hand, giving her a smile.

"It's alright, Ginny. I understand. You're nervous. But I assure you that nothing horrible will happen on your wedding day. I promise I'll do everything to help you, okay?" Hermione said.

"…Okay." Ginny answered. That's when she heard Luna calling them.

"Hermione, Ginny! Hurry up! We're about to start!" Luna called from the entrance of the Quidditch pitch. Hermione smiled at her and quickly took Ginny's hand.

"C'mon." she said brightly as she smiled. Ginny smiled back at her and they walked hand-in-hand into the Quidditch pitch.

The Quidditch pitch was still being decorated but there were a plethora of white benches in the middle of it. There were two isles that joined to become one long isle that led up to a large arch where the priest would stand. The sides of the white benches were decorated with real red flowers and the veins spread out to close off the gaps between the benches. The isles were, of course, outlined with the chairs. There was a long white carpet running up the two isles and then the isle that led up to the arch where the priest would stand. The white carpet and benches were bright in the sunlight, which wasn't as heavy as usual. People on brooms were putting the red and gold streamers on the Quidditch rings. So far, everything looked amazing.

Ron and Harry were standing by the isle with the priest, still talking to him. The boys were fooling around, laughing and talking to the girls. Everyone looked so happy.

After a few minutes, Teddy arrived with his grandma. As soon as Harry saw Teddy, his eyes lit up. He ran over and scooped Teddy up in a hug. Teddy, who had black hair today (it changes, like his mum's used to) and Harry kissed his forehead and adorable chubby cheeks.

"Hey bud! How's it going?" Harry asked excitedly, just beaming. Teddy smiled brightly at Harry, focusing on his face.

"Good! Grandma took me to get ice cream before we got here!" Teddy told Harry enthusiastically. Harry grinned at him.

"Oh really? What flavor did you get?"

"Cotton candy!"

"Nice! That's my favorite kind!" Harry said. Ginny watched him play with Teddy from afar, still beside Hermione. She watched him with soft eyes, a slight smile on her face. Hermione noticed her and smiled.

"He's so good with him." Ginny commented. Hermione nodded.

"Yes, he certainly is. It'll be good when you guys decide to have kids." Hermione told her. Ginny shifted uncomfortably.

"…I dunno whether I'm going to want kids, actually." Ginny told Hermione. Hermione blinked and looked over at her.

"Why? You'd be a great mum!" Hermione objected.

"Well, I dunno. They just seem like a ton of work and I don't want to risk my chances at getting into the Quidditch Leagues." Ginny explained. Hermione looked at her and sighed but didn't have time to answer her. She saw someone else walk in: her cousins. Hermione's face lit up when she saw her aunt with her twin cousins come striding into the Quidditch pitch. Being only Muggles, they were astonished by how amazing everything was.

"Excuse me," Hermione said quickly to Ginny. She ran over to her aunt, beaming. When her aunt caught sight of her, her eyes lit up. She flung her arms around Hermione, hugging her tightly as she laughed, in total shock of how much her niece had grown up.

"Hermione! It's so nice to see you again!" her aunt Helen exclaimed. Hermione laughed and kissed her on the cheek.

"It's so nice to see you too!" she pulled back, beaming. "Thank you so much for coming." She said gratefully. Helen smiled at her.

"It was my pleasure. This is amazing! Besides, we wanted to be here for you. I wanted to represent the Wilson family somehow." Helen said. Helen was her mother's youngest sister and Wilson was her mother's maiden name. She was in her thirties and had the same brown hair as she did but it was straight and she had green eyes. She was a beautiful woman and wore glasses and had the kindest face you'd ever see. Hermione had phoned her and told her that her parents had died in a car crash and that they'd buried the bodies in a graveyard by her house. Helen wanted to be there for Hermione while she got married. After all, she was the only thing of her sister that she had left.

"Thank you so much. I'm so glad you're here," Hermione told her. She looked down and saw her twin cousins, who were four. They were identical so they were hard to distinguish from. Hermione beamed down at them. They were the most adorable little girls ever. They both had brown hair that hung to around their shoulders with big brown eyes and adorable cheeky smiles. Both of them smiled up at Hermione, their eyes twinkling. "Hey girls! Wow, look at how big you've gotten!" she knelt down and hugged them both, one on each arm. The girls hugged their older cousin back. "Alright, which one is Ashley and which one is Anne?" Hermione asked when she pulled back and looked at their identical faces. Both girls giggled and put their hands up. Hermione laughed.

"I'm Ashley." Said the twin on the left side.

"And I'm Anne." Said the twin on the right. Hermione smiled and kissed both of their foreheads.

"I knew that," Hermione winked at them and then stood up, looking at Helen. "We're just about to start the rehearsal. The ring bearer just got here as well." Hermione told her. Helen nodded and smiled down at the girls.

"You remember what I told you, girls? About behaving?" Helen asked. The two girls looked up at their mother and rolled their eyes at the exact same time.

"Yes, mother." They chimed. Helen smiled and kissed both of their foreheads before they took Hermione's hands. The girls, along with Hermione, walked over to everyone else.

"Hey guys. This is Ashley and Anne. They're going to be our flower girls." Hermione told them all. Everyone smiled at them and introduced themselves to the girls, who smiled and shook their hands formally. When George came saw the girls, he felt his heart ache. He saw them look at one another and grin and then they turned back to shaking everyone's hands. George was the last to go up to them. He walked up to them slowly and knelt down.

"Hi there," George greeted them. Ashley and Anne smiled cheekily at him. Memories of Fred flooded George's mind. It took him a second to recover. "So, uh, do you guys like being twins?" he asked them. The girls both nodded at the same time.

"Yes," they said with a smile.

"Sometimes it's annoying though," said Anne.

"Because people can't tell which of us is which." Ashley explained. George felt a tiny smile leak onto his face.

"…You know how you fix that and make it fun for you?" he asked. The girls waited in suspense, looking at him with two pairs of big doe eyes. "You trick them. If they don't call you the right name, try to play with their brains and go along with it," George said to them. Ashley and Anne exchanged a look of excitement, the wheels in their heads turning. "…I'm a twin. My brother and I used to play tricks on people all the time, especially our teachers." George told them. Both girls beamed at him.

"Can you guys teach us?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah! You and your brother could teach us how to be tricky!" Anne said excitedly. George felt his smile melt off his face. He looked at how happy they looked together and he remembered how he and Fred would exchange those looks. He felt himself drift out of focus for a moment, having somewhat of a flashback.

_Spells whizzed everywhere in every color imaginable. Fred and George rounded the corner of a hall inside Hogwarts. They sprinted down the stairs, ducking the curses that the Death Eaters were firing at them. An explosion hit just below their feet and George felt himself flying through the air. He didn't even have time to scream. He landed too quickly right in a pile of cement at the bottom of the stairs. Fred was still toppling down the stairs, both twins clutching their wands. George got up, trying to find Fred when suddenly a zap of pain hit his leg. He yelped in shock, falling down again and he saw a Death Eater turn on him. George quickly began dueling the Death Eater, trying to keep his eyes on Fred, who was now dueling Bellatrix Lestrange. _

_ George finished the Death Eater swiftly with a final Petrifying curse and ran after Fred and Bellatrix. He rounded the corner and saw them in the middle of the room leading into the Great Hall. Fred was on the ground and Bellatrix blasted his wand out of his hand. Fred scrambled to grab his wand but Bellatrix wound back, getting ready to kill._

_ In the next few seconds that passed, Fred looked up and saw George standing at the top of the stairs with his wand in his hand. Fred's face lit up at the sight of his twin brother. Just as Bellatrix's hand fell and the bright green light hit Fred in the chest, he forced out one last laugh before his body hit the wall and slumped to the floor, never moving again._

"Hey Mr.?"

A tiny voice broke George's out-of-focus mindset and he focused in on the girl's tiny little faces, which were looking at him with big, sad eyes. George didn't realize the tears running down his face until one of them touched his cheek, as though in comfort, and saw the tears on her small hand. George didn't know whether he'd be able to talk. He cleared his throat, trying to get rid of the lump in his chest.

"…Well, my brother can't help you but I can," George said finally. The girls looked at one another and then at George again. George forced a smile. "How about after this rehearsal, we talk about the different tricks I can teach you." he offered. The girls' smiles came back and they quickly hugged him in response. Their mother called them and they quickly said goodbye and rushed over to her. George stood up and wiped his tears away quickly. He looked around and saw Hermione looking at him. He quickly ducked his face as he joined his other groomsmen at the altar.

Hermione noticed George but she couldn't focus on him right now. She stood at the back of one isle while Ginny stood on the other side. Mr. Weasley was in the middle where the two isles met, waiting patiently. The two girls were divided, one standing with Ginny, the other standing with Hermione. They stood there silently and looked at Teddy, who was holding a pillow in his hands (the rings weren't attached yet) and was standing with Ginny on the other side. Luna and Fleur were on Ginny's side and Angelina and Katie were on the other. Ron stood on the left side of the alter and Harry stood on the right. Charlie and Bill stood with Ron and Neville and George stood with Harry.

The priest stepped up and looked at them all. He smiled. He reminded Hermione of the Pope. He had white hair and dressed in long robes and had a kind smile on his old face. When he stepped up to the alter, everyone quieted down and the music started playing.

After a bar of music had passed, the bridesmaids started walking down the two isles, one by one. They met in the middle isle and walked up to the alter, then splitting and going to join their assigned partner: Fleur with Bill, Charlie with Katie, Angelina with George and Luna with Neville. After another bar of music, Ashley and Anne started to walk up the aisle, perfectly in sync, smiling. They met and held each other's hands and went to the front as well. Teddy was next; he strode with his cute little toddler walk up the aisle and made his way to the front.

The music changed and Hermione felt herself go cold. The Wedding march started to play. Hermione looked up the aisle and looked back at Ginny. Ginny gave her a quick smile before she and Hermione started to make their way slowly up the aisles. As Hermione walked, though, she was overcome by a memory that she hadn't thought about since her parents had died.

_Hermione was in her room in her Muggle house, unpacking her stuff from her Hogwarts trunk. She had just come home from her 6__th__ year of Hogwarts and, as per usual, she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, even more so now that she knew that she'd never be able to go back to Hogwarts. She told Harry that she'd help him find the Horcruxes and destroy them. Even though she couldn't help but think about how much danger she was in, she couldn't stop thinking about Ron. He was on her mind almost constantly now days. It was extremely annoying. _

_ Hermione rummaged around in her trunk for a moment before she found her old journal that she'd written in every night before she went to bed. She knew this was absolutely full of her feelings for Ron and it was embarrassing to even think about people reading it. She knew that she'd have to either lock this book up forever or burn it._

_ Someone knocked on her door and the book toppled from her hands. She slammed her trunk lid shut just as her door opened and her head snapped up. Her dad walked in the room, wearing his glasses and normal Muggle clothing. She was still getting used to seeing normal clothing. Hermione she knew her dad was onto her. Even if she masked her face, she knew that she wouldn't be able to lie to her dad. He saw it in her eyes._

_ Her father smiled cheekily at her. "Mind if I come in, Mione?" He asked her. Hermione sighed and shrugged her shoulders quickly._

_ "Sure, you already have. I can't kick you out now." Hermione muttered under her breath. Mr. Granger grinned and sat on the edge of her bed, looking at her face._

_ "Eh, don't get grumpy with me, missy! I haven't seen you for months!" Mr. Granger exclaimed playfully. Finally, Hermione smiled at him and just sat beside him. He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek. "So. How does it feel to be back?" he inquired. Hermione arched an eyebrow at him._

_ "You ask me this every time I come back from Hogwarts, dad." Hermione said blankly. Mr. Granger shrugged._

_ "I'm curious! You can't blame me for being curious!" he said._

_ "No, but I can judge you." _

_ "Hey, there will be no judging in this household! Now, come on. Tell me; how does it feel to be back with us 'normal people'?" Mr. Granger asked with enthusiasm in his voice. Hermione sighed in surrender._

_ "It feels like it always does. It feels different but like I'm back at home." Hermione said awkwardly, sitting beside him. Mr. Granger nodded, but looked as though the answer wasn't good enough. "What?" she asked when she saw his face._

_ "Well, it just seemed like…I dunno. You seemed a lot more hesitant to come with us this time. You had this look on your face…like; you were telling them 'it'll be alright.' Or something like that." Mr. Granger explained. Hermione shifted uncomfortably. It was like he was in her head. _

_ "I dunno. Harry and Ron are just going through a tough time. It's nothing to worry about." Hermione reassured him. _

_ "I know, honey, but a dad worries. It just seemed like you were saying that you'll see them sooner than they think. It was like you were only saying goodbye for a week or two and not the entire summer," he told her. When Hermione turned her face away from him, he quickly went back into joking mode. "Just tell me you aren't planning on running away and eloping with one of those boys in Ireland or something." He said playfully, squeezing her shoulders. Hermione couldn't help but laugh when he did._

_ "No, dad, you don't have to worry about that. I wouldn't elope." Hermione reassured him again with a smile. _

_ "So, if you wouldn't elope, does that mean I'm allowed at the wedding?" her dad asked her, grinning. Hermione pushed her dad away playfully._

_ "Hey, I'm not getting married to anyone!" Hermione exclaimed._

_ "I know! But you will one day. And when you do, I want to be there. You hear me?" he said. Hermione rolled her eyes._

_ "Of course, dad. But you won't have to worry about me getting married for a long time. No one is interested in me." She admitted._

_ "Uh huh. That ginger character seemed to have his eyes on you at the train station." Mr. Granger winked at his daughter, who looked at him with shocked eyes and started laughing._

_ "Dad! He's got a name! It's Ron. Besides, we're just friends." Hermione said. He looked unconvinced._

_ "Uh huh. I saw the way you blushed after you hugged him." Mr. Granger said slyly, grinning broadly. Hermione felt her cheeks flush just at the thought. _Geez Hermione_, she thought. _Pull yourself together! _"Hey, don't be so shy about it. It's okay if you have a crush on him, honey. Just promise me that you won't do anything you'll regret later. I don't want grandkids at my age, okay! Wait until you're ready." He said. Things just got 100 times more awkward after he said that._

_ "Whoa, dad. I am definitely not ready for any of _that," _Hermione told him. Mr. Granger laughed. Hermione's smile melted a bit. "…You know the worst thing is…I've never been kissed. No, not like that. The kiss with Krum was…well, okay…but, I've never been…_really _kissed. Do you know what I mean?" _

_ "I do. I'm glad you told me. Because if I found out that you had 'really' kissed someone, I'd be Velcroing a golden retriever to your backside as we speak and I'd tell it to attack any boy that comes near you." Mr. Granger said, half seriously. Hermione chuckled nervously, trying to not picture that._

_ "Well anyway, the point is, I'm safe for now. I'm still your little girl." Hermione told him with a smile. Mr. Granger smiled warmly and kissed his daughter's forehead._

_ "I trust you, Mione. If I didn't, you would never be going off to that school all by yourself," Mr. Granger suddenly became serious again. He took her face in his hand, looking into her brown eyes. "You're a smart girl, Hermione. Not just book smart, but heart smart. You know when to say no so I know that my daughter is safe and that gives me a little more comfort when you're away from me like that. Just promise me something, okay?" He said. Hermione nodded, looking at her dad, focusing on only him. "Please don't forget that I want to be there for you. I want to be there for you every day for as long as I am able. And I know that if you marry someone, whether it be someone I don't know, or that ginger boy, just know that you'll have my full support on it. Whatever makes you happy, I'll be twice as happy. It'll make me even happier if I get to walk you down an aisle and give away my little girl to a man I know will love and cherish you as much as I have," Mr. Granger said softly. Hermione's eyes had welled up with tears that were now spilling over. He wiped a tear away with his thumb. "And I personally can't wait to see all the beautiful grandchildren you're going to give me. I won't even care if they have red hair or not," he teased. Hermione laughed, wiping away her tears. _

_ "What about freckles?" she asked, a little choked up. Mr. Granger kissed her forehead. _

_ "I'll love them if they have freckles or if they have an extra head, just because they're yours." He vowed. Hermione beamed through her tears and hugged her dad._

_ "Well, in that case, I promise. And I can't wait for the day where you walk me down the aisle." Hermione said. She kissed her dad's cheek as she pulled away and smiled at him. "I love you, daddy." She told him. He smiled back, just as happily._

_ "I love you too, Mione. More than words." Mr. Granger kissed her cheek softly and hugged her daughter once more before he left._

"Hermione? Hermione, what's wrong?"

Hermione snapped out of her daydream and back to reality. She blinked for a moment, surprised at the new voice. It was Mr. Weasley's. At first, she saw the aisle and Harry and Ron standing at the alter with everyone. Every single person had their eyes on her and everything was quiet. She felt her stomach turn. Hermione looked over at the person standing closest to her and saw Mr. Weasley's kind face looking concerned and curious. Ginny stood beside him, looking as worried as he did. Hermione felt a cold tear run down her hot cheeks. She didn't know what had happened. She looked down and saw Mr. Weasley offering his arm to her. A red light went off in Hermione's head. This was wrong. This was entirely too wrong. This wasn't her father. This was Ginny's father: A father who cared about her daughter and wanted to take her down the aisle as much as her father wanted to.

Hermione started to back away and realized everyone was watching. She focused for a moment and cleared her throat. "Um, I'm terribly sorry everyone. Can we take a little bit of a break? I'm not feeling very well." She said quickly. Everyone exchanged glances for a moment before Mrs. Weasley came forward to help get the attention off her.

"Yes, of course dear. Come on everybody! Let's eat!" Mrs. Weasley ushered many of the people over so that they could sit down at the tables where the food was. The food was intended for after the rehearsal but Mrs. Weasley thought fast. As everyone started eating, Harry and Ron went over to Hermione (Ginny didn't accompany them because she was too busy eating to notice.)

"What's wrong, Hermione? Do you feel sick?" Ron asked worriedly, coming up and feeling her forehead.

"Yeah, maybe you caught the bug that Ginny had or something." Harry said cautiously, peering at her face. Hermione quickly shook her head and crossed her arms.

"No, no, it isn't that. It's just…" she took a deep breath as she avoided their eyes, her eyes throbbing with new tears. "I…I need to go see them."

"See who?" Ron asked. Hermione looked up at him.

"…My parents," she said. Ron and Harry exchanged looks as Hermione continued. "I really just…I need to speak with them."

"…Hermione," Ron started. "Your parents…they're…they aren't alive anymore." He reminded her softly, trying to help her understand as gently as he could. Hermione's chest flared with pain and she looked down.

"…I-I know that," she mumbled. "I just…I need to at least visit their graves…just once."

"I know, love, but…can it wait, at least until the rehearsal is over?" Ron asked, again being cautious. Hermione braced herself and looked up at him.

"Ron, you need to understand that I need to do this now. I know how important this is. You know me. If I'm telling you I need to leave something so important, then it's obvious that this is what I need to do at this present time. Alright?" Hermione said gently. Ron quickly nodded.

"Do you want someone to come with you?" Harry asked her. Hermione looked at him and nodded.

"Could you? I know that you should probably come instead, Ron, but…right now, being with you is sort of freaking me out. I just need a friend for a moment, okay?" Hermione said quietly. Ron didn't seem as shocked as he felt. He just nodded and kissed her on the lips before Harry quickly went to stand beside Hermione. He gave Ron a look of reassurance, as though he was saying "Don't worry, I'll take care of her for you." Ron quickly returned the glance, which said "I know." Harry linked arms with Hermione and the two of them Disapperated with a crack.

Dust swirled beneath their feet as the two of them landed in the dry Outback sand of Australia. It took Hermione a moment to focus in on what she was looking at. The road ahead of her was brown and covered in dirt and there was nothing around them but the flat lands of the Outback. There was no wind. It felt like the air was suppressing their lungs. It was a dry heat, but it wasn't too hot outside.

Hermione turned to look at Harry, who was staring at her and then she turned to look behind her. In the middle of a legitimate nowhere sat a tiny bundle of small buildings a few miles away. Hermione listened to the silence for a moment before she and Harry began making their way towards the town.

They only walked a short while before they got there. The town wasn't very populated. It was just very quiet and the people that they came across looked friendly enough. People came out of the buildings with groceries and they came out of bars, singing little merry tunes as they went. Hermione even saw a couple of children running around.

She and Harry soon came across a quaint little church that looked like it needed a good fixing and renovation and there was a graveyard behind it. Hermione felt her heart start to beat faster. Harry squeezed her hand reassuringly and they made their way over to the gate of the cemetery. Harry opened it and led Hermione inside. The graveyard wasn't huge, like the one at Godric's Hallow. It was small and the tombstones were spaced out a lot better than they were in Godric's Hallow's cemetery. Also, there were no trees because the Outback was so hot that no vegetation could grow there. The ground felt different than it did on the normal ground outside the graveyard. This ground felt a lot denser, almost heavier.

When Hermione got the strength, she started looking at the names on the tombstones, keeping a firm grip on Harry's hand. After a couple minutes of searching with no luck, Hermione was about ready to give up.

"Harry, they aren't here. I must have thought of the wrong place." Hermione said to Harry in a hushed voice, as though her talking loudly would wake whoever was in the ground below her feet. Harry gave her a reassuring look. "…This was a bad idea. I want to go back."

"We can't go back now, Hermione. Come on, your parents wouldn't want you to just give up on them, now would they?" Harry asked her. Hermione looked away from him, knowing he was right. She nodded.

"Well, of course, but Harry, they aren't here. We've looked and I for one think this is a waste of time if they aren't even here-," As Hermione rambled nervously, Harry looked around again. A few seconds later, Harry found a gravestone in the very corner of the graveyard that had the names "Wilkins" on it. He felt his stomach tighten a little as he queued in on what Hermione was saying. "-in the wrong side of the Outback! I really need to practise my Apperating skills-,"

"Hermione-," Harry tried.

"-not my fault. I mean, I tried to remember the town where I sent them, but my mind is boggled-,"

"Hermione-,"

"-and, I mean, I could have written it down, but I just thought I'd remember and I wasn't expecting-,"

"Hermione!" Harry said over her. Hermione clamped her mouth shut and looked at him. "They're right there." Harry pointed to the gravestone, which was a few meters away. Hermione looked over and spotted the name on the gravestone and her heart skipped a beat and stopped for a moment.

"…Oh my…" was all she said. Harry tried to bring her over but she stayed rooted on the spot. "No. I can't." she said nervously. Harry gave her a look.

"You _can _do it, Hermione. It's okay to be scared. Just don't let fear control you." Harry said. Hermione looked in his eyes, trying to find strength again. When she did, Hermione nodded and they walked over to the gravestone together. As they got closer, her heart beat faster until they were standing right in front of it. Hermione stared at the headstone with Wendell and Monica Wilkins carved into the granite stone. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. This was so incredibly not real to her. How could her parents really be _dead?_ The feeling she felt inside her was the emptiest she'd ever felt ever. It felt so…lonely.

Harry said nothing. He just stood there for a moment and looked at the gravestone with heavy eyes. He knew how this felt. He had met them once. They were such nice people, probably the kindest people he'd ever meet. Why did they have to die? How was that right? Harry couldn't understand why the people who deserved to live a long and happy life had to die so young. The worst thing about it was that they left Hermione here all alone. It wasn't their fault, of course, but it made Harry angry.

After a few seconds, Hermione's tears came again. She didn't sob or make any noise. The tears were silent. She felt herself grieve and she was about to stop herself when she felt Harry's hand tighten around her own. This simple motion gave her strength. Hermione took a deep, shuddering breath and let it out.

"…He wanted to be there, you know," Hermione told Harry. Harry looked at Hermione. "…He wanted to be there when I was married. He knew all along about my feelings for Ron. He could see it somehow. He knew me better than anyone did or better than anyone ever will." Hermione said softly, her voice breaking in certain spots. Harry swallowed.

"I'm sure that if he could see you now, he would be so proud of you." Harry said to her honestly. Hermione looked at him and then at the gravestone again.

"…Do you…do you mind if I say something to them?" Hermione asked Harry. Harry looked at her, shocked that she would ask his permission for something like this.

"No, of course not. Say whatever you please. Would you like me to leave?" Harry asked. Hermione's grip on his hand tightened in fear.

"No. Please, no. I don't think I can do this if you leave." Hermione said shakily. Harry quickly nodded and put his arm around her waist in comfort. Hermione took another deep breath to steady herself and she turned to her parent's gravestone once again. "…Hi mum... hi dad…" she waited as though she was expecting them to greet her back. Although this was a foolish hope, she died a little inside when she didn't hear her parent's voices. "Uh…it's me. I know you can't really hear me or anything but…I don't care right now. I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am. I-I'm…I'm so sorry," her voice cracked but she continued. "…I thought I had done everything thoroughly enough that you'd be protected until I came and got you and I'm so sorry I wasn't smart enough to hide you better," she said as tears ran down her face. "…Mum, you always taught me to be intelligent about things. I knew that people would come to find you and torture you for information about Harry and our plans. I-I didn't want to wipe your memories. I never wanted to do that. I just wanted to p-protect you," Hermione sobbed. Harry saw her breaking and he quickly gave her a little squeeze of comfort, just to show her she wasn't alone in this. Hermione swallowed and leaned into Harry a little bit as she talked, trying to keep going. "Dad, I know that we always talked about you walking me down the aisle someday and you don't know how much I wanted that to happen. I'm getting married tomorrow, to Ron…the ginger guy," she added. "…He'll take good care of me. You know how good a guy he is. Even though he's sometimes a dork, I know that, on a whole, he means well. And he'll treat me like you wanted a man to treat me. I'm so sorry you aren't here to give me away but I hope that you know at least that I'm in good hands.

"Both of you were supposed to live long and happy lives. I was planning on that. I really was. But my plan didn't work. A-and I promise you that every other plan that I make will succeed and I won't let anything like what happened to you ever happen to my friends or my family. You were both so brave and I wish I could have taken away the pain that Adolf caused you. I sincerely hope that you can forgive me someday and I hope I can forgive myself one day as well. But, that all comes with time," Hermione said, her voice becoming a little stronger. It didn't last very long though. "Anyway, I-I just wanted to tell you that…I love you and I miss you both very much. I-I'm never going to forget all that you did for me. I promise to tell my children about you and that they'll love their grandparents as much as I loved you as parents. And, I know I'm rambling on, maybe because I don't want to leave you, but…I truly hope that someday I will do you both proud." Hermione finished. The last of her tears had run out, or so it seemed. Then Harry looked at the gravestone and stepped forward.

"Um, Mr. and Mrs. Granger?" he began. "I'm Harry, Harry Potter. I was the boy that your daughter sacrificed everything for and I am dreadfully sorry that you had to die. I know that this is going to be hard for Hermione to go through without her parents, but I promise you that I will take care of her until the day I die. Ron will as well. He'll be an amazing husband and someday, an amazing father to your grandchildren. We will both take care of Hermione and I will personally be there when she needs someone to talk to or just if she needs a friend and I promise you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger, that your daughter has, if not already, done you proud and she will continue to do you proud. Thank you for raising such a wonderful person," Harry looked at Hermione, who had started crying again. "…I wouldn't be alive without her." he said. Hermione quickly wiped her eyes and hugged Harry tightly, holding him close in her shaking arms as she embraced him. Harry hugged Hermione back, closing his eyes. He remembered that night in the Godric's Hallow graveyard when he saw his parent's grave and he felt comforted by Hermione's presence. He wouldn't have been able to do it without her. In a sense, they were each other's rock now. Their friendship was strong enough to support them both. Harry did love Hermione, as a sister, of course, but she was so much closer than a sister. She was the sister he'd never been privileged enough to have.

When they pulled back, Hermione turned to her parent's gravestone and knelt down. She took out her wand and waved it for a moment. Then, underneath the names "Wendell and Monica Wilkins", more words appeared. ~Martin and Jane Granger: Rest in Blissful Peace~ Then, under it, she wrote ~The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Fear~

Harry watched as the words appeared and then he took Hermione's hand as she stood up. Hermione took one last look at the gravestone.

"Goodbye mum…goodbye dad." She whispered. She looked at Harry and the two of them Disapperated. As soon as they disappeared, the words that Hermione put on the gravestone melted into the granite, only to ever re-appear when Martin and Jane Granger's daughter came to visit them once again.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter thirty-eight: Wedding

Birds tweeted and fluttered their wings as they flew through the April air, whistling a merry tune as they went. A couple of them landed on the open window of Hermione's bedroom and twittered as they looked around. A soft gust of cool, spring breeze washed through the window, making the white curtains ruffle slightly.

Hermione awoke to the sound of the birds and the smell of the sweet air. She blinked at the last bits of sleepiness in her eyes and stared at her ceiling, listening to the birds and the wind. She could hardly remember anything for a moment, seeing as she'd just woken up, but then she remembered what today was. Hermione took a deep breath, letting the realization sink in. Then she said it out loud, just to prove to herself that this was actually happening.

"…I'm getting married today." Hermione was astounded at how amazing that sounded to her. It was like a dream of sorts, but she knew, at the same time, that this was completely real and it was happening today.

When Hermione was ready, she turned over and looked at her clock. It was 7:00. Hermione's eyes widened and she rolled out of bed quicker than intended and got up. She quickly got in the shower, washed up, got dressed, and dried her hair. She heard Mrs. Weasley downstairs running around, shouting at people to get up. Hermione hardly had time to think before Mrs. Weasley was right there, grabbing her hand.

"Come on, Hermione dear. We have to get you and Ginny down to Hogwarts." She said.

"Mrs. Weasley, we're getting married at 12:00. Isn't it a bit early to be going?" Hermione asked confusingly.

"No, dear, because everything is at Hogwarts: The dresses, the makeup, the accessories, everything! We have to hurry. Ginny! Ginny, we need to leave now!" Mrs. Weasley shouted as she towed Hermione down the stairs, not giving her time to grab her jacket. Hermione heard someone shuffling upstairs and immediately knew Ginny had probably just gotten out of bed and sure enough, a few seconds later, Ginny came downstairs, her hair a mess, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that she'd slept in and looking tired as ever. She was so tired all the time now that Hermione expected that she'd fall asleep standing if they didn't wake her up. "That's right, dear, come on." Mrs. Weasley took Ginny's hand and pulled her over to Hermione. "Stay here while I get my cloak." Mrs. Weasley instructed, rushing into the other room. Hermione turned and smiled at Ginny.

"Good morning. How are you?" she asked her. Ginny rubbed her eyes, shrugging.

"Tired, as per usual. I can hardly keep my eyes open." She mumbled. Hermione gave her a comforting smile.

"Don't worry. When we get to Hogwarts, I'll fix that." Hermione assured her.

"How?" Ginny asked.

"Potions, remember? We talked about this yesterday." Hermione reminded her. Ginny blinked, trying to remember.

"Oh…sorry."

Mrs. Weasley reappeared in her traveling cloak. She quickly led the girls outside and they took hands and Apperated to Hogwarts.

They reappeared outside the gates of the castle and Pearl Thompson was waiting there for them with the same pleasant smile on her face. She opened the gates and the three of them stepped onto the Hogwarts grounds.

"Hello again," Pearl greeted them. Hermione smiled. "I've been asked to escort you to the Ready Chamber. It's not far from here." she told them.

"By all means, lead the way." Mrs. Weasley said and managed a smile. Pearl smiled back and led them into the castle.

"The preparations are all in order. The Veelas are working on the girls now as we speak. We have assigned the two of you a group of Veelas to help you do your hair and makeup." Pearl explained to Ginny and Hermione when they looked confused. The four of them walked up the stairs of Hogwarts and turned the corner, passing the staircase that led to the Great Hall and also several others. They went up to the Third Floor and turned the corner. Pearl led them to a room that Hermione had never seen before. Pearl opened the door and held it open for them. Hermione's eyes widened when she saw what was inside.

It was like a factory. This room had six different stations in it, all divided with white curtains. It looked similar to the hospital ward except it smelled like hairspray and soap. The six compartments were a washing station, a waxing station, a nails station, a hair station, a makeup station and a dressing station. Each compartment had at least four Veelas in it. They worked slowly, but efficiently, making sure everything looked absolutely perfect. Hermione could see her twin cousins, Angelina, Fleur, Luna and Katie in the different compartments. They were all relaxed now, chatting with the Veelas as though they'd been friends for years. Nothing about this room was stressful and Hermione wondered how strong the relaxing spell they used on it.

Two Veelas dressed in white coats strode over to them. "You are late." One of the girls said to Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley sighed, almost in defeat.

"I know, Amnisha, I'm so sorry. Some of us slept in this morning." She explained. The Veelas eyed Ginny, who was swaying a little as she stood there, her eyes half closed.

"Well, that's fine. We'll just 'ave to work quicker!" the Veela clapped her hands twice and a hoard of Veelas came marching out of a door Hermione hadn't noticed. Even though it scared her a little, Hermione admired their timing and ability to make an entrance every time they come in a room.

The Veelas took Ginny and Hermione to a separate room that was just as big as the room that they had just been in but there was just two of everything instead of six. Hermione felt, as she stepped into the room, an overwhelming peace-like fog float over her. It was much stronger than the feeling in the other room and Hermione knew why. Two brides in one room getting ready was extremely stressful. These Veelas thought of everything, Hermione though to herself.

They led Ginny away and then Hermione was stripped of all her clothes and she was put inside a huge shower. She stood there for a moment, looking around. It didn't look like a shower, but Hermione was certain it was because there was a drain in the bottom. Hermione took a step towards the edge of the room and a voice echoed through the shower.

"Don't move!" one of the Veelas shouted. Hermione froze, her hands up. What was going on? She looked around and then suddenly-,

_SWOOSH! _

Hermione's body was struck by several jets of freezing cold water coming from every direction, getting her soaking wet yet again. Hermione screamed as the shock radiated through her body.

"Why is it so bloody cold?!" Hermione yelled over the noisy jets, protecting her eyes as the water hit her in the face.

"Cold water 'elps ze skin!" the Veela yelled back. Hermione couldn't even move or see because of the water. It was so cold. Hermione was shivering in a matter of seconds.

Then the water stopped. Hermione wiped the water out of her eyes, her teeth chattering, and she looked around. Hundreds of little tiny spouts were coming out of the walls right before her eyes.

"W-w-w-what is this?" she shivered, keeping her eyes on the spouts. She assumed that those were the things that shot water at her.

"Just stand still!" the Veela instructed. Hermione did as she was told, hugging herself to keep warm. Then, the spouts began to spout out this blue gel that hit Hermione in every part of her body, covering her completely from the neck down. Hermione tried to keep her hands over her eyes but the Veela told her to put her arms down. She obeyed only because the Veela assured her that no soap would go in her eyes because the spouts were measured and accustomed to her height.

Soon, the blue gel absorbed into her body and Hermione watched as all blemishes and scars all but disappeared. Her eyes widened.

"…Uh, what is this stuff, exactly?" Hermione asked.

"Eet ees a special kind of extraction of the Velocracy flower." The Veelas invisible voice told her. Hermione watched in wonder as her "_Mudblood_" and "_I am not a witch_" scar disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"…How long does it last?" Hermione asked her, fascinated.

"For a couple days. Not very long, though. I set zis batch on for a week." She told her. "Oh, and don't be so eager to buy such a chemical. It rots your skin eef you use eet too much." She informed her. Hermione swallowed and nodded quietly as the spouts vanished into the wall. Hermione looked around. From above her, something cold dripped onto her head. Hermione started freaking out as she touched the top of her head and immediately saw it was some sort of pink shampoo. She didn't look up in fear that more might fall on her and get in her eyes.

"Don't rub eet in!" the Veela told her. Hermione just let the shampoo drip down her head, into her hair. Then, more freezing water hit her body, followed by a fog the color of red that smelled like a mix of flowers and a sweet grass. It smelled incredible.

After a minute or so when the red smoke stopped, the curtain to lead out of the shower opened and two Veelas were waiting for Hermione. Hermione stepped out of the shower and was immediately clothed in a white robe by the Veelas who then led her to another station.

"What was that last procedure?" Hermione asked them. The Veelas sat her down at the waxing table.

"Eet was a Perfume Absorption. We put a certain scent into a gas and feed it out. You were just given an outdoors Perfume Absorption. Eet was what your Fiancé was most attracted to." The Veela explained as she stirred a thick liquid inside a bowl.

"…So it works like somewhat of a Love Potion?" Hermione asked her. The Veela smiled at her.

"Very good, Ms. Granger! Yes, eet works like a Love Potion. You smell the most desirable to him now. He will be swooning over you all night." The Veela beamed. Hermione smiled and she laid down on the waxing table.

After the waxing came the nail station. Hermione's hands were cleaned, moisturized and her nails were filed to absolute perfection. They put on the nail polish that she had bought when she went to the spa, the nail polish that changed color with her mood. Right now, her nails turned a light shade of yellow, which meant she was nervous and she was. Hermione couldn't help but think about all the horrible things that might happen today. For instance, she could have gained weight and she wouldn't be able to fit into her wedding gown, or the twins would forget their flowers or one of the bridesmaids had wardrobe malfunctions or she could trip over her dress in front of every friend she ever made. Hermione was especially nervous that her hair would be too short to style in something beautiful.

As she sat in the chair at the hair station, she stared anxiously at her short hair, trying to imagine some beautiful style that she could do for this wedding. When the Veela came up and looked at her hair, Hermione started talking very fast.

"I'm sorry I cut it so short. I wasn't thinking about the wedding when I cut it. I know there's probably not much you can do with it at this length so I'll be thankful for whatever you can come up with-," Hermione told the Veela. The Veela finally held up her hand, smirking at Hermione's panicked face.

"Ms. Granger, I am an 'air expert. I could style your 'air eef you had eet shaved off. You should 'ave a leetle more faith in me." she said calmly, smiling. Hermione blinked for a moment before the Veela gave her a smile and started on her hair.

Next was makeup. Three Veelas were at this station. Hermione kept looking around for Ginny but she couldn't find her. Every time she went to look, she was swamped by Veelas.

The makeup wasn't nearly as bad as everything else. They started with giving Hermione this facial massage and then they put this cool clear gel on her face that made her feel so refreshed and awake. Any lingering effects of sleep were gone as soon as this gel was applied to her face. She felt a new surge of energy course though her entire body and she felt extremely happy. Then, they put on a layer of expensive-looking foundation and blush and so on. Hermione didn't get to see herself in the mirror yet. They said it was a surprise.

Then, she went over to the last station, the dressing station. Hermione saw her amazing dress that she had picked out all those months ago. She stared at it for a moment, just taking in its beauty. She felt extremely nervous all of a sudden, even with the peaceful atmosphere of the room. The Veelas came over and took the dress off the hanger. Hermione took off her robe and they helped her into her beautiful wedding gown. Hermione crossed her fingers and closed her eyes, praying it would fit as they came to the zipper. She heard a "Zzzzppp" as the zipper slide up her back, making her shiver a little. When the sound stopped, Hermione peaked through her eyelashes and looked at the Veelas, who were smiling from ear to ear, looking at her with self-congratulatory expressions.

"It fits okay?" Hermione said quietly. "Did it zip up all the way?" All of them nodded excitedly, grinning. Hermione took a deep breath of relief and looked down at herself. "How do I look?" she asked tentatively. The Veelas smiled at her and opened the door so she could go into another room.

"Go see for yourself." Was all they said. Hermione went without thinking twice and walked into the room to find herself face to face with a huge mirror. Hermione froze as she spotted the woman who walked inside the room. It took her a moment to recognize that the woman was her but when she did, she felt shock leak onto her features, the mirror woman mimicking her expression. Hermione took a few steps towards the mirror, staring at herself with big eyes. She had never looked so beautiful in her life.

The dress was strapless and had a sweetheart neckline. It was a stunning pure white color. The body of the dress was white, soft fabric that gathered on the left side of the dress. When it got down to the skirt of the dress, there was more white fabric that ruffled all the way down, making it look like a cloud on the bottom of her dress and she had silver heals to match it. It was amazingly gorgeous. Hermione fell in love with it when she saw it in the dress shop but now that it was on her and she was all done up, it seemed…_real._

The Veelas had done absolute miracles with the rest of her body and face. Her skin was smooth and absolutely flawless. There wasn't a freckle or scar on her body anymore. Her face was soft like satin. The makeup was very simple and light but it complimented her beauty. Her lashes were lovely and thick, outlining her chocolate brown eyes which now laid underneath her perfect mahogany-colored eyebrows. Her lips were rosy, full and glossy and looked very desirable.

Her hair was incredible. Even though it was short, her hair was now styled in soft curls and holding the veil on her head was a beautiful, delicate head band. The headband was white, resembling the stem of a flower. The headband had diamond flowers attached on the front, and held back her hair. Everything about her seemed utterly perfect. It took her breath away when she saw herself in the mirror. It was mesmerizing. That was when she saw Ginny in the mirror behind her and Hermione froze, her eyes only on her. She spun around to see Ginny in her dress, which had a ball gown styled skirt with a beautiful silk bodice and had a piece of material twisting upwards, holding the front of the dress up, like a strap on her right side that had a beautiful silver pendant in the middle of it that sparkled in the light. Her hair was done up in an amazing intricate bun and a heavy silver comb with rubies outlining it was holding her hair back. She also had light makeup on and her skin was freckle and flaw-free. It glowed and with renewed beauty and she looked absolutely stunning.

Ginny smiled at Hermione as she stood a few feet from her. Hermione beamed back and went forward, looking at her. The closer she got, the more Hermione could smell sweet grass and honey suckle, which were, Hermione assumed to be Harry's favorite aromas.

"You look…amazing." Hermione told Ginny, still staring at her. Ginny beamed, her tiredness all but gone.

"Thank you! You do too! I've never seen you like this!" Ginny told her. Hermione smiled brightly and Ginny quickly looked behind her as the Veelas came up behind her.

"Ginny, you aren't zipped up yet!" one of them said. They came forward as Ginny rolled her eyes and let them take the zipper. Hermione smiled as the Veela began to zip it up.

Zzzzzzp-!

Hermione blinked. She looked at the Veela, who's eyebrows pulled together and she looked at the zipper. She tried again.

Zzzzzzzp-!

Ginny's face went dead, her skin going pure white. "Oh no," she whispered, knowing that it wouldn't zip up all the way. "This can't be happening."

Hermione rushed over and saw that the zipper had only gone halfway up before it seemed to not want to go any further. Hermione took over the Veelas spot, pulling on the little zipper. It wouldn't budge.

"She 'as gained weight!" The Veela exclaimed in horror. Ginny's eyes widened and she started to breathe too quickly.

"I can't have! I've been throwing up for weeks now! I can't be gaining weight!"

"Ze dress was custom made to fit your form! Any amount of weight that you gain will make it harder to get into the dress!" the Veela told Ginny, her eyes wide.

"This can't be happening," Ginny muttered, her voice terrified. Hermione quickly patted her on the shoulder.

"It's okay, Ginny. Just try pulling in your stomach a little." Hermione said comfortingly, standing behind her. Ginny sighed and then quickly sucked in her stomach and Hermione did the zipper up a little more. For a moment, it seemed useless but then the zipper finally gave out and zipped to the top. Hermione let out a sigh of relief and went around her to look at her face. "Are you okay?" she asked. Ginny nodded but she looked slightly uncomfortable for a moment. She smoothed the front of her dress down and looked at Hermione with a smile on her face.

"That was close, wasn't it?" Ginny said quickly, smiling. Hermione returned the smile.

"Yeah, it was." She said. Just then, the door opened and Mrs. Weasley came in wearing a beautiful gold dress. The Veelas had done her up too. She looked so pretty. As soon as she saw the two girls, her eyes filled with tears and she squealed in excitement, going to hug them both.

"You both look exquisite!" Mrs. Weasley squeaked as she kissed them both on the cheek and pulled back, still beaming. "I can't believe how grown up you both are! And I can't believe that you're getting married! It makes me feel so old." She said with a slightly tired tone. Hermione smiled and kissed Mrs. Weasley's cheek too.

"You still look like the same woman that I met all those years ago, Mrs. Weasley." Hermione told her. Mrs. Weasley blushed and smiled brightly.

"Oh, you're too kind, dear. I'm so excited to finally make you an official part of our family," she said. She looked over at Ginny and smiled at her, her eyes getting even more watery. Hermione saw this as a mother-daughter moment and she bid them farewell and decided to go into another room to let them have their moment alone before her daughter became Ginny Potter.

-Harry-

Harry stood in front of a mirror in his dress robes, fixing his tie nervously. He stared at his reflection in the full-length mirror and took a couple deep breaths to calm himself down. His nerves were riding high. He knew that this was it; the moment of truth. He was finally marrying the love of his life. It had taken him so long to confess his feelings for Ginny to not only her but to himself. He couldn't help but feel like this was all riding on his shoulders. He was so nervous.

The door opened. When Harry turned around, he was awestruck by the sight of an absolutely stunning woman dressed in white. It took him a moment to recognize her as Hermione, his best friend that had had buck teeth, bushy hair and an overall plain appearance before this. He blinked, dazzled by her beauty. She radiated it, her skin glowing and perfect. He couldn't even comprehend what he was seeing. It took him a moment to remember how to speak again.

"…Hermione," Harry said quietly, his eyes transfixed on her face. Hermione smiled at him, blushing. "…You look…incredible…more than incredible." He said. Hermione walked towards him, smiling.

"You don't look too bad yourself," Hermione told him, grinning at his beautiful dress robes. They were black with a gold shirt and a red tie, so it matched the theme of the wedding. The Veelas had obviously worked on him too because his face was perfect (other than the scar, which couldn't be covered even by the stuff the Veelas use) and was shaven better than Hermione had ever seen it. His black hair was styled back so his face was framed well and he smelled like wild flowers, Ginny's favorite smell

Hermione came over to him and saw his untied tie. She sighed and began to tie it, concentrating on it. "You nervous?" she asked him as her fingers slowly tied his tie. Harry shrugged quickly, but couldn't deny how anxious he felt.

"A bit. I mean, this is it, right? This is the moment that shapes the rest of my life. I'm allowed to be nervous…right?" he asked her, looking at Hermione's face. Hermione kept her eyes on his tie for a moment before she glanced at him and then continued the fixing.

"Of course, Harry. This is probably the biggest thing you'll ever have to do," She told him. Harry swallowed. "But, it's probably the best thing you'll ever do." She said with a smile. Harry looked at Hermione and grinned. He stared at her face for a second.

"How about you, Hermione? Are you nervous?" he inquired. Hermione's face flickered a little bit but then she nodded quietly.

"Yes, but it seems that I'm nervous about the wrong things. I'm worried about whether Ashley and Anne will walk properly and how easily I can trip while walking up the aisle. I really should be nervous about getting married and not the wedding." Hermione told him with a slightly nervous chuckle. Harry nodded and smiled at her.

"They'd be proud of you, you know. Your parents," Harry told her gently. "If they were alive, they'd have told you how proud they were of you. If they knew what you've gone through this past year and what you did for them to save their lives, I know they would have told you how clever you really are, Hermione." He said. Hermione looked down as her cheeks went red.

"My mother wouldn't have approved of me doing half the things I did. None of the ideas I thought of were logical." She said quietly. Harry put his hands on her shoulders, making her look directly into his eyes.

"But they were what kept you alive. Hermione, if you didn't have your wits about you half the time, you would have died. In fact, if you didn't have your wits about you, everyone would be dead. You saved so many people with your wits, Hermione, including me and Ron and we're thankful for that," Harry told her with a cheeky smile. Hermione beamed at him and they embraced tightly, holding one another for a moment. "Enjoy today, Hermione. You deserve for this day to be amazing, and it will be." Harry said as he pulled back. Hermione smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you, Harry. I'll see you later." Hermione bid him farewell and smiled as Harry grinned at her. Hermione walked to the door and went to turn the doorknob.

"Hermione," Harry called before she left. Hermione stopped and looked over at him. Harry smiled warmly at her, taking her beauty in once again. "You really do look beautiful." He said truthfully. Hermione beamed at him for a moment before she left Harry alone to deal with his thoughts once again.

-Ron-

Ron sat in his designated room, waiting anxiously until the moment when it reached 12:00. His stomach twisted in nervous knots inside his body as he stared at the floor. He didn't worry about the wedding or the ceremony. He couldn't have cared less about something in his life. Today was about he and Hermione being joined in marriage and that's what was making him nervous. Not that he had cold feet or anything. Marrying Hermione was the one thing in his life that made sense. He loved her with everything he had and he wasn't about to give that up. The part of this that was making him nervous was whether or not he'd make a good husband or not. Even Ron himself knew that he was lazy and he hated working to earn things. Would that have an effect on his marriage with Hermione or would everything stay the same? Ron knew he'd have to grow up even more than he was now. He had to be mature and careful and devoted to her completely. He was, of course, always devoted to Hermione. He was just worried that this might be a dream and that he wasn't getting married today.

He was also nervous about Hermione. Would everything come at her at once about how horrible he'd treated her throughout the years? Would she remember all the fights and disagreements that they'd had? Would this provoke her to leave him at the alter? Would Hermione do that? He began to question how Hermione acted and soon, he was pacing the room anxiously, rubbing his hands together, trying to block out the thoughts in his head that said that she was still too good for him and that he didn't deserve someone like her. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and, for a moment, he stared at his dress robes and his neat ginger hair. He stared into his own green eyes until he couldn't anymore and he heard someone walk in. He looked over and saw his dad standing there in his own dress robes. He smiled at his son.

"We have ten minutes before we should get down there," Mr. Weasley said. "You feeling okay?" he asked. Ron nodded quietly, not sure whether he could say anything just yet. He was so nervous, his hands were shaking. Mr. Weasley came forward and gave him a rap on the shoulder. "Don't be nervous, son. Everything will be great. I'll make sure Hermione doesn't fall when she's walking up the aisle." He promised him. Ron smiled, knowing how clumsy Hermione can sometimes get. His smile faded a bit into a nervous expression.

"Were you this…anxious before you married mum?" Ron asked him. Arthur smiled at memories of his own wedding.

"Yes. I was devilishly nervous. Merlin's Beard, I don't think I even remember getting ready for the wedding. I just remember staring down the aisle and seeing how radiant your mother looked in her wedding dress. Then I remember taking her hand, saying my vows and kissing her. And then I remember the clapping and it felt…it felt right," Arthur told his son. Ron looked at his reminiscent father for a moment. Mr. Weasley looked at Ron and smiled. "That's what you'll remember, Ron. That feeling of everything being right. And that's all you're going to care about," Mr. Weasley told him. Ron thought about that before he quickly hugged his dad. "C'mon,"Mr. Weasley said as they pulled back. He smiled brightly at him. "Let's go get you married." He said happily. Ron smiled at him and the two of them walked out and down towards the Quidditch Pitch together.

-Ginny-

"Here, drink this," Hermione handed Ginny a golden potion. Ginny looked at the vile hesitantly as Hermione explained what it was. "It's to prevent you from getting sick and it'll keep you awake the entire day." She told her. Ginny looked back at the potion and quickly took a swig of it. It tasted like overpowering ginger root. She nearly choked on it but she downed the entire flask and then felt her body lighten, as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She smiled at Hermione who was watching her hopefully.

"Thanks. It helped a lot." Ginny said. Hermione nodded, gave Ginny a quick hug and then went over to speak to Professor McGonagall, who had come to greet them. Ginny couldn't bring herself to walk over to her old Transfiguration teacher. She instead turned around and looked out the window of the room she was in. It overlooked the Quidditch field. She could just faintly make out certain people from where she was but they were about the size of pins to her.

Ginny saw her father and Ron walking out onto the field. She knew it was them automatically. She'd grown accustomed to their faces and body types over the years. They went over to shake hands with Neville, who had gotten there early. People were already starting to arrive, chatting amongst themselves. She saw her three brothers, Bill, Charlie and George enter the Quidditch pitch as well, accompanied by Anne and Ashley and then Teddy. George was obviously cracking jokes with the three little ones because Ginny could tell they were killing themselves laughing.

Then she saw her bridesmaids walk out. She saw Angelina first, then Luna, then Katie and then Fleur. Fleur was the most noticeable because of how pregnant she was. All day, she had been complaining of how large she was getting but other than that, she seemed to be content with her pregnancy. She was beautiful, even while she was pregnant, which Ginny found most unfair.

Ginny's eyes focused on another person entering the field: Harry. Her mind immediately switched and her stomach filled with nerves. She watched as he looked around at the amazing sight in front of him and then he went to join Ron. Ginny watched as he walked away and she felt a certain longing to just be with him instead of going through this whole charade. She didn't want a huge ceremony. She would just be happy with a plain 30 minute wedding and then the honeymoon. But, there was no way she could go back now. This was happening. She was getting married today to Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, a boy who saved the world from destruction. Ginny couldn't help but feel a little edgy about the whole thing. She was going to be the wife of a legend, someone that was talked about in books and told to people's children. She felt a certain obligation to be greater than she was now.

Just as Ginny began to think on the more stressful part of what she was about to do, Mrs. Weasley put a hand over hers and smiled.

"It's time." she told her. Ginny looked at her mum with a scared expression on her face before she nodded. She looked over to see Hermione standing there, twisting her fingers and biting her lip nervously. She was breathing rather quickly. Ginny went over and took her hand, giving her a smile.

"Together?" Ginny said quietly. Hermione felt comforted by Ginny's touch and she nodded, a tiny smile coming onto her lips.

"Together." Hermione said. The two of them waited for a moment before they began making their way together down to the Quidditch Pitch to get married.

Everyone was sitting down on the white benches, chatting excitedly as the seconds ticked past. Any person that Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny had ever met was there to support them. From Witches and Wizards to House Elves and Goblins waited for the moment when the two beautiful brides would make their appearance and for the wedding to begin.

Hermione came to the door where Ginny would have to leave her at. Ginny gave her a final hug and kiss before she walked over to her own entrance door that led onto the Quidditch pitch and out of Hermione's sight. Hermione stood there by herself, knowing her bridesmaids were lined up outside as well as the flower girls and the ring bearer. She was alone, standing at the door, her legs shaking violently. This was it, the moment that she'd been dreaming about for years. Hermione was finally marrying Ron.

She took a deep, shuddering breath, her stomach twisting uncomfortably as she waited for the music cue. She knew it would be soon. The chatter that she heard outside from the huge crowd of people suddenly began to fade off and a new sound was heard. The music for the beginning of the wedding had started. Professor Flitwick was leading the Hogwarts Band. They played beautiful soft music. Hermione heard people "awww" as the twins supposedly walked down the aisle. Another round of "awww"s sounded when Teddy came down the aisle after them. Hermione listened for any sign of movement from outside that would give her any idea as to when she should brace herself.

The music changed again and this time, she knew the bridesmaids were walking down the aisles. Hermione knew she was next. She quickly took another deep breath, looking down at her hands. She felt as though her whole life was just about to start. Nothing could top this feeling she was getting in her gut.

And then Hermione heard it; her queue. This was it. At the sound of the soft violins and gentle horns that were playing, the door opened and the entire congregation stood and turned around to look at the brides. Hermione felt her heart almost stop in her chest but then it galloped forwards as she saw so many familiar faces. She reminded herself to take a few steps forward and her feet touched white carpet. Her entire body was shaking but right now, she could only focus on taking one step at a time. That's all she needed to focus on.

As the music played, Hermione walked forwards to the slow, soft waltz-like tune. She looked at all the beaming faces of her friends and family and smiled timidly back at them. She saw everyone standing and staring at her there. As she walked, she saw more people she knew. All of the Hogwarts staff was there and some of her friends that she'd made at Hogwarts were there. She didn't have time to focus on faces because she had to focus on getting to the middle where Arthur was waiting for her.

Hermione made her way up the aisle slowly and then finally made it to the middle where a beaming Mr. Weasley stood, holding out his arm for hers. Hermione felt her body go cold for a moment before she took his arm and smiled at him, Ginny on his other arm. When Hermione looked up to face the front, she saw Ron and everything seemed to fall in place at last.

Mr. Weasley walked Ginny and Hermione up the aisle. Hermione felt tears come to her eyes as she stared at Ron, who was smiling bigger than she'd ever seen him smile before. Hermione had tiny flashbacks of all the good times Ron had shared with her over the years: she saw themselves on their first train ride to Hogwarts, all those times where he'd tease her about being a know-it-all, those days in the hospital wing, waiting for him to get better, all of those times when he'd compliment her, their first kiss, their first time, seeing him after they'd brought her back from Umbridge, and many other happy memories. Hermione felt that she'd never forget this moment in her life. This was the biggest thing she'd ever done and will ever do. This was an impeccable moment that could not be replaced by anything she'd ever feel again.

After the long, and seemingly difficult walk up the aisle, Hermione came face-to-face with Ron, who was looking as handsome as ever. Mr. Weasley didn't let go of her hand the entire time.

"Who presents these two lovely ladies to their matches?" The priest asked, smiling at Mr. Weasley. With tears in his old eyes, Mr. Weasley smiled back at him.

"I do." He said with a slightly shaking, but firm voice. He lifted each girl's veil and gave them a kiss on the cheek. When he kissed Hermione's cheek, he gave her a smile and then lowered her veil and put Ginny's hand in Harry's and Hermione's hand in Ron's. He then went to go sit beside Mrs. Weasley, who was already sobbing happily in her seat. The priest turned to look at the audience and beamed at them.

"Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to witness the union of Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter and Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley," he announced with his soft but powerful voice. Hermione stared at Ron with blurry, tear-filled eyes as the priest spoke to them. "Would any of you care to present vows to one another?" he asked. Ginny nodded, knowing she was first. She looked into Harry's eyes and felt a smile come up her face.

"Harry Potter," Ginny began. Harry immediately felt a grin creep up his face. "When I first met you, I was in my housecoat, asking my mother where my jumper was. I didn't realize you were downstairs in our living room until I saw you sitting there and, to be perfectly honest, I was horrified. In fact, to this day, I find it difficult being in a housecoat around you," many people in the audience laughed. "And, like that, I was hooked. You were idolized throughout the Wizarding world and I somehow knew that trying to get your heart was going to be near impossible. But, eventually, after many years of waiting, I finally got it and I'm so proud to be standing here today with you, Harry. I love you so much and I promise to love you for as long as I live." Ginny finished. Her voice had started choking up near the end of her vow. Harry beamed and even he was getting choked up with tears, but he went on anyways.

"Ginny, I have to admit, even though the first time I saw you you were in your bathrobe, I thought it looked pretty cute on you," He admitted. The congregation laughed loudly and then Harry continued. "Ginny, you have been a light in my life that nothing could extinguish. We've been through hell and back together and I believe that it's made us stronger as both people and a couple. Your heart was something I somehow knew I always wanted but I just didn't have the nerves to do anything about it. Plus, you know, you were my best mate's sister," he said with a smile. Ron laughed along with everyone else. One the laughter settled down again, Harry continued. "You see, over the course of my life, I've been called many things; The Boy who Lived, the Chosen One, but the only time I ever felt comfortable with someone calling me those names was when you called me them, which you hardly have ever done. I'm grateful for that because even though I was expected to be something more than 'just Harry', you accepted me as just me and I love you for that. You are an intelligent, beautiful woman and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you." Harry finished with a final charming smile at Ginny, who now had tears streaming down her cheeks.

The crowd now directed their attention at Hermione, who took a deep breath and quickly wiped her eyes so she could see Ron's face. She smiled brightly at Ron and began her vows.

"Ronald Weasley. I cannot believe we have made it up to this point in our lives. It seems only yesterday you were cheating off me in Potions class or criticizing me for going to the library for every problem I had," those who knew Hermione laughed boisterously, knowing exactly what she meant. "And, the truth is Ron, that you taught me that not every problem I have will have the solution in a book. Reading books doesn't always help me solve anything. In fact, sometimes it makes it worse. After years of having you as a friend, I've realized that most of what you were doing was, of course, foolish but it wasn't entirely all wrong. I think the reason why we made it this far is because you have your way of solving problems and I have my way and we learned how to combine the two to make something beautiful," Hermione smiled at him as the tears started to rebuild in her eyes. "There are no words to describe my love for you, Ron. I wouldn't be the person I am today without your help and much of who I am was caused by your influence. Thank you so much for putting up with me and my crazy ideas. I promise that no matter what happens in the future that I will be there by your side solidly, until the very end," Hermione vowed, her voice cracking a little. "…I love you, Ron, and I will continue to do so until the day I die." She vowed. Ron beamed down at her as he held her hands tightly in his own. Words couldn't describe the happiness he was feeling right now.

"Well, you said how you couldn't believe we'd gotten up to this point in our lives. I just can't believe we survived each other that long," the congregation burst out laughing and Hermione giggled as he went on. "Blimey. I'm still telling myself to wake up from this dream I'm having. I keep expecting to wake up and find out that we're back in our Sixth year at Hogwarts and you're off dating someone who deserves you way more than I do. Honestly Hermione, you are so much more than I could have ever asked for in the person I'd spend the rest of my life with. You're the most beautiful girl that I have ever known and your cleverness is beyond measure. I'm a privileged man to have you on my arm. I love you with everything I have. You're my world, Hermione, and I love you for as long as I live and breathe. My life is now devoted to you." Ron said to Hermione. Hermione smiled through her tears as many of the people in the congregation beamed at them. The priest turned to look at Teddy, who was still standing there holding the rings on the little satin pillow.

"If you would be so kind, young sir, as to present us with the rings." The priest said. Teddy smiled, knowing this was his big moment and he gave the rings to each person, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry. The priest started with Harry and Ginny.

"Do you, Harry James Potter take Ginevra Molly Weasley to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love and to comfort, in sickness and in health, from this day forward?" the priest asked.

"I do." Harry said with a strong voice, smiling at Ginny.

"And do you, Ginevra Molly Weasley take Harry James Potter to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and to comfort, in sickness and in health, from this day forward?" the priest said.

"I do." Ginny pledged. The priest then went over to Hermione and Ron.

"Do you, Hermione Jean Weasley take Ronald Bilius Weasley to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and to comfort, in sickness and in health, from this day forward?" the priest asked her.

"I do." Hermione said in an utterly sure voice.

"And, finally, do you, Ronald Bilius Weasley take Hermione Jean Granger to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love and to comfort, in sickness and in health, from this day forward?" the priest asked for the final time. Ron grinned down at Hermione.

"I most certainly do." He said. Everyone chuckled as the couples took their rings in hand.

"I give you this ring," Harry and Ron said in synchronism to Ginny and Hermione. "As a symbol of my love and affection for you." the two boys slid the wedding bands onto the girl's fingers and then the girls took the guy's hands.

"I give you this ring," Hermione and Ginny said, again at the same time. "As a symbol of my love and affection for you." they slid the rings onto the boy's fingers and the two couples held hands as the priest beamed at the four of them.

"I now pronounced you bonded for life. Husbands, you may kiss your brides." He announced with glee. Hermione smiled at Ron and they shared an utterly perfect kiss. Ginny and Harry did the same as the priest raised his wand above their heads and shot beautiful confetti out of it. The congregation stood and applauded loudly, hooting and hollering for their friend's marriage.

When Hermione finally pulled back, she looked at Ron and laughed along with him as they turned to face the audience, holding hands, and they made their way up the aisle, towards the broomsticks that were at the back. Hermione smiled and waved at everyone she knew, giving Mrs. Weasley a kiss as she went. Ginny and Harry followed joyfully. Even as Hermione made her way towards the broomstick, she didn't feel nervous anymore. Ron mounted the broomstick and helped Hermione on the back and when Ginny and Harry were ready also, the two couples took off into the sky, soaring high above the Quidditch Pitch. They circled the pitch and Hermione waved freely to everyone below them. The crowd was still cheering loudly and Hermione could hear it over the rush of wind in her ears. Finally, when they'd finished the circle, Ron flew directly through one of the Quidditch Rings, along with Harry and Ginny and an explosion of _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes's _most colorful and extraordinary fireworks lit up the beautiful blue sky, leaving the message "Just married" in the clouds above them. As Hermione flew, holding onto Ron, she raised her arm in triumph and let the wind race onto her face. She felt a happiness and excitement grow inside her that was indescribable. She had done it. She had married Ron. From this moment on, she was Hermione Jean Weasley. Ron was her husband. In that moment, Hermione felt a lightness in her soul that she'd never felt before and, as they flew up in the air, Hermione let a scream of joy and excitement burst from her lips. The boys started to holler too, fist-pumping the air and Ginny joined in. The four of them were finally married, bonded together as one for the rest of their lives.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39: The After party

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, witches and wizards of all ages, please join me in welcoming Mr. and Mrs. Potter and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley!"

The crowd cheered as Seamus, the 'disk jockey' announced the married couple's arrival. They all turned around as the doors of the Great Hall opened behind them and they hooted and hollered loudly when Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Harry entered the room, Harry holding Ginny's hand and Ron with his arm around Hermione's thin waist and they waved to every single one of their guests. Hermione beamed at everyone she passed and she looked around the Great Hall in wonder. It was so beautifully decorated. The ceiling was filled with the blue sky and there were ribbons outlining the entire Great Hall of Red and Gold. At the front where the teacher's table would have been, there was a large table there for the four of them to sit at with their family. In front of the table, the floor was transformed into a ballroom floor for dancing and there were many tables where the four house tables usually for the guests to sit.

The two couples went onto the dance floor and grinned as Seamus continued from his "DJ Booth" on the left side of the room.

"Alright now, everyone! Who wants to see Ron and Harry tumble around the dance floor?" he asked into the mic. Hermione laughed as Ron's ears turned scarlet but he laughed it off as well as everyone cheered for them to continue. "Alright, first dance of the night!" Seamus turned and took out his wand. He swished it at the sound system as Professor Flitwick and his band got set up as well as another band, and suddenly a beautiful slow song by the Twisted Sisters (Magic Works) came on and Hermione beamed. Ron grinned back at her as both he and Harry took Ginny into their arms and began to dance slowly with one another. Hermione looked up at Ron as she saw people snapping pictures of the four of them from the crowd. She smiled at him and looked around as what appeared to be little floating orbs hovered around the dance floor. Hermione began to understand the significance of the balls of light as they continued to dance, even though nobody else would.

"Little balls of light?" Hermione said to Ron with a beautiful smile on her lips. Ron smiled down at her as they swayed slowly back and forth to the music.

"I thought it was a nice touch. It was symbolic, I guess." Ron told her. Hermione smiled at him and gently kissed his lips.

"You guessed right." She whispered. Ron kissed her lovingly as the song continued.

Ginny and Harry were dancing also. Harry was less clumsy when it came to dancing than Ron was. Ron's dancing was klutzy and awkward, but he was fine with just swaying. But both couples were doing absolutely fine with the dancing part of this. They weren't stressed about it either, which must have been nice for the girls as well.

"So, what do you think of our wedding, Mrs. Potter?" Harry said with a smile on his face. Ginny grinned at her new name.

"I love it," she said quietly. She leaned forward and gently kissed his lips and then snuggled into his chest.

Once the song ended, the audience clapped and the parent's danced with their children, Mr. Weasley with Ginny, Mrs. Weasley with Ron. Harry looked at Hermione as they stood all alone and then he held out his hand for hers. Hermione beamed at him and took his hand, dancing with him.

"This is fantastic, Harry. I couldn't have wished for a better day." Hermione said to him cheerfully. Harry grinned.

"The day isn't over yet. We have the whole night to dance away." Harry said brightly. Hermione smiled and kissed his cheek.

Once all the dances with the family were over, the best man speeches proceeded. George, Neville, Charlie and Bill stood at the front and one by one, they gave their speeches. George went first, saying how lucky Harry was to have snagged someone like Ginny and how Ron had better keep on Hermione's good side or there'd be hell to pay. Everyone laughed loudly as Neville proceeded to agree with George and tell the story of how Hermione had used a full body-bind curse on him in his first year when he attempted to stop them from leaving their dorm. Hermione laughed at the memories as she blushed deeply. Charlie was next and he congratulated his brother on landing a girl before he did. He also welcomed Harry into the family with warm greetings. Bill's speech was similar to Charlie's but his was a little more serious and heartfelt. He told his sister that he was proud to call himself her brother and that he wished her and Harry all the luck in the world. Bill also congratulated Ron and told him that he was so happy for him. The crowd clapped when that was finished and then the bridesmaids quickly did their speeches, which were all as lovely as the last. Angelina and Katie went together, telling their Quidditch experiences with Ginny and all of the inside jokes that they'd made. They went on to say how much Hermione helped them with their studies and how brilliant she was. Fleur did a short but heartfelt congratulations and told them how excited she was to finally call them both sisters. Luna ended the speeches by simply saying 'I don't know about all of you but I saw this coming. The two couples that were married today will be happy together forever and I personally can't wait to watch it. Oh, and also," Luna added as an afterthought. "I would just like to announce that there were no Nargles anywhere near this wedding, which is a good luck charm for weddings." Everyone chuckled to themselves as Hermione and Ron exchanged smiles and Harry and Ginny laughed. They hugged each of them and then sat down along the front table. Everyone in the wedding party sat down beside them and then the guests sat down. The meals appeared before them and everyone began to tuck in.

Hermione chatted excitedly with her aunt while the twins talked to Teddy about future play-dates. Ron and Harry laughed about how excited they were about tonight when they got to their honeymoon destinations. Ginny talked to Angelina and Katie about joining the Quidditch Leagues and how they had accepted her application and Luna and Fleur talked about hair styles. They ate their three course dinner and then people were on the dance floor, dancing away to the band which was led by Professor Flitwick. Hermione looked up when Ron stood and held out his hand for hers.

"Care to dance, Mrs. Weasley?" Ron asked with a beaming smile. Hermione smiled brightly and took his hand, getting up.

"I would love to." She said happily. Harry followed Ron's lead and quickly kissed Ginny's lips before he offered to take her for a dance too.

The two couples wandered onto the dance floor and Hermione heard the song change into a waltz. She felt Ron tense up a little but she squeezed his hand. "Don't worry," Hermione said to him comfortingly. "It doesn't matter if you mess up. This is our night." She said. Ron looked at her nervously as he took Hermione's waist. Hermione took his other hand and placed her hand on his shoulder. Hermione smiled and started to do the waltz, taking the lead. Ron stumbled a few times but after a few beats of the beautiful music, he began to get it, his feet becoming less and less clumsy. Ron smiled as he looked at Hermione.

"I'm doing it! I'm dancing!" Ron exclaimed happily. Hermione beamed back at him.

"You are! You're doing an excellent job!" She kissed his cheek and they continued the waltz.

As the night went on, many people came up and congratulated Hermione and Ron. Hermione greeted many people that she hadn't seen for years and some people that had been here the whole time. The bridesmaids all came to say hello to her and Luna was especially excited to see her. Luna gave her a huge hug and thanked Hermione for the amazing experience. Each of the groomsmen danced with Hermione and chatted about how exciting this was. Almost all of the Weasley's were married now and it was very exciting. Hermione danced with Mr. Weasley and kissed Mrs. Weasley and watched as Ron drank lots of wine and danced with his sister. She giggled when Ron got a little tipsy and danced to an Irish folk tune with George. Everyone was at the wedding. Every Professor that Hermione had ever had a Hogwarts was here, all of her friends were here, even Winky the Elf and Kreacher had come to congratulate her. Hagrid was especially excited to see her.

"Ye know, I knew this would happen!" Hagrid told her with a knowing tone, smiling down at her through his beard. "I knew it when I first set eyes on the pair of ye! You two were goin' to be together." Hermione beamed up at him and simply hugged him, so thankful that he'd come.

Hermione also saw Firenze and even Grawp was waving to her from outside the window. Pearl Thompson had also come up to hug her and congratulate her.

"You look gorgeous!" Pearl gushed, smiling brightly at Hermione. "It was such a beautiful wedding. Thank you so much for inviting me!"

"No, no, the pleasure was all mine. How could I not invite an old friend, which I hope will become a new one?" Hermione said. Pearl beamed.

"Of course. We will be spending a lot of time together, seeing as our classrooms are in the same corridor." Pearl told her, smiling. Hermione smiled back.

"It'll be great. I'm so excited!" Ron came up beside them and put his arm around Hermione's waist, smiling at Pearl.

"Hey Pearl. Lovely to see you again." He said charmingly. Pearl smiled shyly.

"Nice to see you too. Congratulations to you both," she smiled at them. "You guys make a beautiful couple," she told them. She looked at Hermione. "Well, I should let you get back to greeting others. It was nice to see you both and thank you again for letting me come! I'll see you soon, Hermione." She waved, giving them one last smile and then disappeared into the crowd of dancing people. Hermione smiled warmly and looked up at Ron as he took her in his arms again, dancing with her.

"You know, I could get used to this whole dancing thing," Ron said. "It's not actually that bad."

"Of course it isn't. You just love to over-react." Hermione said playfully. Ron grinned.

"Oh, I do, do I, Miss Logic?" He said teasingly. Hermione smiled slyly.

"Actually, I'm a Mrs now but you got the second part right." Hermione told him. Ron laughed loudly.

"Geez, I feel like I'm taking an O.W.L. Are you gunna do this to me tonight?" he asked. Hermione pondered that before she smiled.

"No, I don't think I'll be doing a lot of talking tonight," she smiled seductively and Ron grinned excitedly.

"The Hell you won't." said a voice from behind them. Hermione and Ron turned around and saw an odd sight before them. Aunt Muriel, dressed in a horrible brownish gold dress that looked like it had been eaten away by moth balls with ugly brown leggings and black shoes with an absolutely unfortunate and gigantic feathered hat, stood in front of them, swaying slightly, a goblet of wine in her claw-like hand. Her lips were pursed so much that her lips looked almost non-existent.

Ron, who stood beside Hermione in absolute horror, looked at his Aunt with wide eyes. "Aunt Muriel? What-what're you doing here?" he asked, stunned. Aunt Muriel blinked rapidly for a moment before she took a few steps towards them.

"Do you think," she slurred as she walked forwards unsteadily. "that you could not include me in my own niece and nephew's wedding? I've come to see my nephew make the mistake of his life!" she said tipsily. Ron's ears went bright red and he tried to leap forwards but Hermione held onto his arm tightly, making sure he didn't move. Aunt Muriel saw his face and chuckled as she sipped her wine. "It was clever of you to avoid the whole "if this couple should not be joined in marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace" thing, Ronald. Clever, clever, boy." She said, tapping her hooked nose. Ron's ears glowed brighter as Muriel leaned forward. Hermione could smell the wine on her breath. She was most definitely very drunk. "But, I must say, it would have been awfully embarrassing to get up in front of everyone and shout at the priest, so I decided to just keep my mouth shut."

"Well, Merlin's Beard, maybe there is a first for everything." Ron muttered sarcastically.

"Don't mumble, darling, I am an old woman! My ears don't work like they used to! Now c'mere." Muriel slurred drunkenly as she leaned forwards and grabbed the front of Ron's dress robes, practically hanging off them. She looked up into his eyes with her bloodshot ones. "Ronald, I know this girl means a lot to you even though I will never understand why you think such a frumpy girl is attractive," Muriel whispered, even though Hermione was in full earshot. "but, I guess that if you're happy, I could let you both exist together without getting in the way too much. Just know that when great-nieces or nephews arrive, I want to know! And you-!" she grabbed onto Hermione's dress, which made Hermione squeak as her wine just narrowly missed the beautiful white fabric. Muriel pointed a red talon at her. "If you give me ugly great nieces or nephews, I will disown all of you Weasleys! I don't want them to be homely or plain like you, do you understand me?" Muriel asked drunkenly. Hermione looked at her as Ron tried to go to grab her and quickly smiled.

"Of course. I don't plan on having ugly children," She assured her. Ron tried to make another grab for Muriel but Hermione dug her heal into his foot. He exclaimed in pain and leaned over a little, squeezing his eyes shut. Hermione ignored it and smiled at the old woman. "You have nothing to worry about." Hermione said. Muriel pursed her thin lips again and then, seeming happy with that answer, leaned back.

"Good. I'm glad we agree on something," she looked around and then let go of Hermione's dress. "Well, I'm off to get some more wine," she gave Hermione a look up and down her body. "Have fun with your homely wife, Ronald." Muriel bid them farewell. She then stumbled away and back to the drink counter.

Ron looked outraged. His face was now the color of magenta and he was shaking. "That woman. I swear, if I ever see her again-!" that's when Hermione began to laugh. He paused for a moment and then looked at her. "What's so funny? I don't see anything funny about this situation!" Ron said. Hermione kept laughing, covering her mouth with her hand, grinning.

"Oh, Ronald, she's just a crazy old loon. I don't know why you think I'd take what she said to heart any longer! Besides, your face is as red as a cherry!" Hermione chortled. Ron's face reddened even deeper as he also began to laugh as well and soon, both of them were in stitches about the entire situation.

When it came time for the party to end, it was around 6:00 pm. Seamus announced that both brides and grooms would be leaving Hogwarts and so they were to proceed outside to say goodbye to them before they journeyed on their honeymoon.

The huge crowd of loved ones traveled outside of Hogwarts's doors. They stood poised with cameras and their wands, all of them smiling as they waited. A few moments later, Harry and Ginny immerged, Harry in a red dress shirt and black pants and Ginny in a lovely gold dress. Hermione and Ron followed, Ron wearing a gold dress shirt and black pants while Hermione wore a red dress, the two couples dressed for the honeymoon. They had their arms linked and a cheer erupted from the crowd that was so loud that they couldn't hear much of anything else. From the ends of the guest's wands shot brightly colored streamers and confetti, which fluttered in the air. George taught Ashley and Anne and Teddy to set off the sparklers from _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes _and they flew around the two couples as they walked through the people, bidding everyone good bye as they went. Hermione smiled dazzlingly at everyone as she and Ron passed them and then, when they came to the immediate family, she embraced them all in a very tight hug. She assured Mrs. Weasley that she'd take care of Ron while they were there and Ron did the same. She hugged Mr. Weasley, George, Charlie and Bill goodbye and then turned to her aunt and two small cousins.

"If you need anything, just call me, alright?" Her aunt said to her, smiling. Hermione nodded.

"Of course. Thank you so much for being here today." Hermione said. Her aunt smiled.

"I was happy to be here," she said. She then raised her hand and stroked her cheek. Hermione felt as though her mother was there in front of her. It made her freeze for a moment before her aunt smiled at her again. "Your mother would have been so proud today." She said. Hermione felt tears come to her eyes but she blinked them back and hugged her aunt goodbye.

After one last goodbye, Ron with Hermione on his arm and Harry holding Ginny's hand, turned to wave goodbye once more before they left out of the Hogwarts's gates, going off school property. Once they were far enough away that the crowd's hollering had quieted, Hermione turned to hug Ginny goodbye.

"Call me when you can, okay? Be safe." Hermione said with a warm smile. Ginny hugged her back and kissed her cheek, smiling brightly.

"I will, I promise. I'll call you as soon as I can." Ginny assured her as she pulled back.

Ron and Harry embraced. "Have a fantastic time, mate," Ron said to Harry. When they pulled back, Ron gave him a look. "But not too fantastic a time." Harry laughed.

"Don't worry, mate. I'll keep it at almost fantastic." Harry said playfully, grinning. Ron grinned back and clapped him on the shoulder and then hugged his sister goodbye.

"Be careful, alright? And have an awesome time. We'll see you when we get back. Maybe we'll even have a 'welcome home' party at our new houses." Ron said enthusiastically. Ginny beamed and kissed her brother.

"That'd be great!" she said warmly. Harry hugged Hermione goodbye with a final 'have fun' and a wink. Hermione then took Ron's hand and Ginny took Harry's. Harry and Ginny both grinned at them, waved goodbye and Disapperated to their honeymoon spot in Romania.

Hermione sighed and looked over at Ron, curiosity filling her mind. She looked at his handsome face for a moment. "Are you going to tell me where we're going now?" Hermione inquired impatiently. Ron smirked at her and kissed her cheek.

"Nope. I'm gunna show you." he said mysteriously. Hermione gave him a look but sighed. "Are you ready or should I just book a suite in the Three Broomsticks?"

"No! I'm ready." Hermione said quickly. Ron chuckled and he turned on the spot, leaving Hogwarts far behind him.

Seconds later, they appeared in a beautiful tree-filled area that Hermione recognized immediately. Her mouth fell open and she gawked at the beauty that was in front of her. When she turned to look at Ron, he was taking in her expression with a smile on his face.

"Is this…?"

"Yeah, it's Switzerland. It's also around the same place that your parents brought you." Ron said quietly.

"B-but, I never told you about that visit." Hermione told him, confused. Ron shrugged with a smile on his face.

"I did my research," he looked ahead of him, towards a trail that led into the wooded area. "Shall we look further?" he asked. Hermione nodded and took his arm, getting really excited.

As they walked, Hermione noticed lilac petals on the ground of the trail.

"What're those?" she inquired.

"They're leading us to our honeymoon suite. Harry helped me with all of this. He knew I'd have trouble coming up with something like this. Plus, you know, I knew I'd lose the way." Ron added, embarrassed. Hermione smiled and kissed his cheek as they walked.

"You're adorable."

They continued their walk until they finally came across what looked like a very tiny cabin in the middle of the forest. Hermione stared at it, confused for a moment. The smell of lilac was becoming stronger as they got closer to the cabin. Finally, Ron went up to it and opened the door but when Hermione stepped inside, it wasn't the interior of a small cabin whatsoever. Hermione gasped.

Before her eyes, Hermione took in what looked like something out of a magazine. The space in front of her was absolutely incredible: the room she was standing in was filled with light pouring through an open window. The floors were a deep brown mahogany and the walls were a golden brown, which matched everything perfectly. There was a doorway on the left hand side that led to what Hermione thought to be a kitchen and then there was another room behind this one which Hermione saw through the open door. The room she was standing in seemed to be a living room of sorts. It had a very comfortable-looking couch with a fireplace and many pictures of the Swiss Alps on the walls. Overall, this place was breathtakingly beautiful and it had a warm, welcoming atmosphere to it.

Hermione couldn't bring herself to say anything as Ron shut the door and came up behind her.

"Do you like it?" Ron asked her. Hermione just nodded, her jaw hanging. Ron chuckled and took her hand. He led her into the room on the left hand side and showed her the most magnificent kitchen Hermione had ever seen. "The food is precooked. We don't even have to do anything. I got a spell to make our food at exactly the time we ask for it. Mum showed me it." Ron told her. The kitchen had a marble floor and a beautiful countertop with an island in the middle of it and a fridge with a sink and an oven. Hermione felt as though she'd stepped into one of her mum's old '_Home Sense' _magazines. Hermione simply nodded again, still speechless. Ron then continued on to lead her out of the kitchen and into the room at the back. Hermione's eyes adjusted as she turned the corner and she saw the most amazing room in the house: their bedroom.

This room still had the mahogany floor and golden walls, but instead of furniture in it like the other room, it simply had a huge bed with a brown comforter on it in the middle of the room. On the right hand side, there was a wall filled from top to bottom of all of her books. On the left hand side, there was a gorgeous washroom that Hermione didn't have the courage to look in at that moment. But the most amazing thing about this room was that the entire back wall was full glass. It was a giant window. Double doors led outside into the forest again but Hermione saw something that was different. She walked forwards and opened the double doors, stepping outside into the woods once more. Hermione looked out at the dazzling sight in front of her and stared in awe at it. In the middle of this wooded area, right outside this cabin, there was a breathtakingly beautiful waterfall that connected to a sparkling lake. The water gushed over the rocks of the hill softly, not making as much noise as Hermione would have thought. The lake was a clear blue and it rippled softly as the waterfall fell into it. The trees around it were full of birds, which chirped and twittered happily in the light afternoon breeze. Hermione never thought that she'd ever see such a beautiful place in her entire life.

"…This…is…incredible." Hermione pronounced slowly when she finally could remember how to talk. Ron sighed in relief and smiled at her.

"I'm glad you like it." he said.

"Like it? How could you use such non-descriptive vocabulary," she turned to him, looking up at him in awe, staring into his eyes. "I _adore _it." she told him. Ron smiled handsomely down at her and kissed her lips, pulling her close.

"I'm glad you adore it." he corrected himself. Hermione looked at him with her brown eyes and cupped his face.

"You are brilliant, Ronald Weasley. I couldn't have wished for anything more." Hermione told him truthfully. Ron felt as though he was on a cloud right now. Gently, he stroked Hermione's soft cheek with his thumb and moved her bangs out of her face a little.

"I love you." he whispered to her, putting his forehead on hers. Hermione looked into his eyes, putting her hands on his chest.

"I love you." Hermione said softly. Ron leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers gently, cupping her face with his long hand. Hermione leaned into the kiss, closing her eyes tenderly, enjoying the beautiful kiss and knowing that this would be an amazing first night of her honeymoon.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Sky creatures and strange occurrences

Ginny and Harry laid in their bed, their naked body wrapped in blankets. Ginny stared out at their view of the mountains from their suite window. Romania was even prettier than Ginny had imagined. The mountains were a beautiful vibrant green and the sun shone through the window, into their room. Last night was fantastic for both of them. Ginny let memories of the night creep into her mind as she stared at the beautiful sunshine. Harry wasn't awake yet, of course. He always slept longer than she did.

Ginny sat up and put on a nightgown that was nearby and walked out of the cute little house that Harry had rented for their honeymoon. She stared at the valley of Romania's mountains and sighed, crossing her arms. The air was warm on her face and she quietly closed her eyes as it ruffled her red hair gently. It was peaceful here. Ginny was so used to everyone being so loud at her house that it felt strange for her to just listen to the quietness of the mountains and the birds twittering overhead. She wasn't sure why, but she thought of how nice of a difference this was.

"I could get used to this." said Ginny softly, hugging herself as she stared out at the beautiful view. A couple moments later, Ginny saw something move out of the corner of her eye. She turned her gaze upon what appeared to be a very skinny cat sitting at the edge of the forest. It stared at her with its golden eyes. The cat was beautiful- it had a gorgeous vivid orange coat with white stripes along its tail, which remained very still as it watched Ginny. Ginny smiled at the cat and went over to it cautiously, making sure it didn't run away. The cat sniffed the air as Ginny stepped closer and it meowed softly, staring at her with its large eyes. When Ginny got close enough, she knelt down beside the cat and held out her hand to it. The cat's nose flexed as it sniffed her and then, realizing she wasn't a danger, it put its head in her hand, letting her pet it. Ginny smiled brightly and gently stroked the cat's head and ran her hand down its body. The cat licked her fingers with interest and then her eyes focused on her torso. The cat began to rub against her housecoat, purring quietly. It ran its body against her torso. Ginny thought that was a little odd. She'd never seen a cat act like that before but Ginny shrugged it off as her inexperience with cats. The cat seemed, in every aspect, except her personality, a wild cat. She didn't see any identification of it being a housecat like a collar or a licence so she decided to try and pick it up. The cat went willingly with her and snuggled against her chest. Ginny stood with the cat held gently in her arms and walked back into the house, stroking the cat's body. When she stepped into the house, she saw Harry in his plaid pj bottoms only, standing in the kitchen, his black hair ruffled with bedhead. He was cooking breakfast. Ginny immediately felt her stomach grumble as she shut the door and smelt the delicious fragrance of cooking eggs.

Harry turned around when he heard the door closed and saw Ginny with the tiny orange cat. He blinked and started to laugh. "Morning beautiful. What's that you got there?" Harry asked as Ginny came over to him and smiled.

"I found him at the corner of the woods. He isn't anybody's cat. I couldn't just leave him out there." Ginny told him as she petted the cat's tiny head. Harry chuckled and scratched the cat's ears as it purred excitedly.

"You do realize that there are loads of creatures in Romania. Are we going to be keeping a dragon too, if it doesn't have an owner?" Harry inquired. Ginny gave him a look.

"Of course not! But she was all alone and look at how adorable he is!" Ginny said. As though to persuade him further, the cat licked Harry's fingers and purred louder. Harry chuckled again and sighed.

"Well, alright. If it means that much to you, I guess we'll keep him." Harry said in defeat. Ginny beamed and hugged Harry, kissing him with loving lips.

"Thank you! I promise you won't regret it!" Ginny said excitedly. She turned to the cat and kissed his head.

"Hey, just as long as that cat doesn't take all of the attention away from the real man in your life." Harry warned with a smile on his handsome face. Ginny giggled and kissed his lips again softly.

"Of course not. You'll always be my real man." Ginny said sweetly. Harry went to go kiss her again but Ginny didn't notice because she turned away and went to the fridge to grab a bowl and some milk for the cat. "I wonder whether he still drinks milk. He looks young enough, don't you think?" Ginny asked as she put the cat down and poured some milk into the bowl. Harry, who'd been leaning into where Ginny was for a kiss, straightened up with a smirk on his face. He ran his hand through his hair and nodded, continuing fixing her breakfast.

"Yeah, he looks young enough. I'll go to the market later on today and pick up some cat food and toys and stuff." He said. Ginny smiled as she laid the milk down in front of the cat, which immediately stuck his face into it and drunk thirstily. "What else did you want to do today? I had something planned, but if you'd rather do something else, we can do that instead." Harry told her. He was open for anything right now. He was just very content with his life, it really didn't matter what he did.

"What did you have planned?" Ginny asked him as she looked at the eggs hungrily. She took the toast out of the toaster and immediately buttered it and then munching on it, sitting on the counter.

"Well, I was talking to Charlie and he told me about this place high up in the mountains where there are loads of dragon species. He assured me that they're pretty harmless if you make sure not to startle them. He also told me which ones to stay away from altogether, but you can see them if you be careful and quiet. If you don't want to go, I'll understand. I just thought it'd be cool to go to." Harry said quickly. Ginny smiled brightly at him.

"I'd love to go! I've always wanted to go see dragons!" Ginny said enthusiastically. Harry looked at her and smiled brightly, not expecting that.

"Okay, great! We'll go right after breakfast." Harry said as he scooped the eggs onto one plate and then handed it to her and then served his own. Ginny went over to the table and sat down, practically engulfing her eggs. Harry chuckled as he sat down and ate his own breakfast as quickly as he possibly could.

In Switzerland, Ron was already up and moving. He had a full day planned for Hermione. He was so excited to get going. He had already finished his breakfast when he brought Hermione's into their room on a tray. He set it down on the bed and gently kissed her forehead, which made her stir out of sleep. Hermione opened her eyes and focused on Ron's face. Soon, a smile came up her lips and she sat up, hugging the blankets to her body. She ran her hand down his bare chest.

"Good morning." Hermione greeted him happily.

"Good morning," Ron said quietly, smiling back at her. "Brought you breakfast. I wanted to get going early this morning and I thought you'd like breakfast in bed." Ron said as he quickly handed her the tray. Hermione looked at the food and also the tiny wildflower that was on the tray and felt her smile grow bigger.

"Thank you, Ron, this is lovely," Hermione said as she smiled, sitting up further. She began to eat. "What're we going to do today?" she inquired. "It's a surprise." Ron said with a mischievous smile. Hermione gave him a look.

"Another surprise? You've already surprised me enough, don't you think?" she asked incredulously. Ron shook his head.

"Not nearly enough. Just wait, I'll be surprising you for the rest of your life." He said enthusiastically. Hermione rolled her eyes at his adorable smile.

"Knowing my luck, those surprises will give me a heart attack and I'll kneel over dead at 25." Hermione joked as she ate her breakfast. Ron chuckled.

"Oh, c'mon Mione, surprises aren't that bad." Ron countered.

"No, they aren't. It's the suspense that I loathe." Hermione clarified. Ron chuckled again and kissed his cheek.

"Don't worry. The quicker you eat, the faster you'll be able to uncover the surprise." Ron said.

"Can't you just give me a hint? I may choke on my food if you don't at least give me a hint." Hermione told him as she ate. Ron smirked.

"Nope. Not one single hint. You'll just have to wait." He teased. Hermione gave him a playful glare.

"I loathe you, Ronald Weasley." She joked. Ron laughed and kissed her lips lightly.

"I loathe you too, Hermione Weasley," he smiled at her new name and Hermione blushed. "Hurry and eat so we can go!" Ron said quickly and got up to go get the rest of his clothes on. Hermione smirked as he went and quickly scrambled to eat the rest of her breakfast.

Ginny and Harry hiked up the mountains of Romania until they got to top of the mountain. They came out of the trees which outlined the mountains and peaked around, being quiet. Ginny held onto Harry's hand as she looked around at the many different birds in the trees. Harry took a few more steps forward before he heard the dragons. He froze, listening to their roaring and their claws dragging along rock. Harry's feet touched stone as the mountain got to its peak and Ginny looked around for the dragons.

"Where are they?" Ginny whispered. Harry walked cautiously up a few more steps and then saw them. He gestured for Ginny to follow behind him and when she got up beside him, he took out the book that Charlie had given him on the dragon types. There was a large colony of dragons, maybe about twenty dragons on the peak of this mountain. Harry took Ginny's hand and led them over to a large bolder which they hid behind and peaked up over at the dragons residing there.

"Look," Harry pointed over to a dragon with stunning bright red scales and golden spikes around its head. There were about eight of these dragons. "Those are Chinese Fireballs. The females are bigger than the males, see?" he pointed to a dragon that was considerably bigger than the others and that was also taking care of a tiny dragon, probably just a couple months old, although it was about the size of a full-grown cow. Ginny smiled.

"As it should be." She said with pride in her voice. Harry looked around and pointed out another species of dragon.

"Those are the Swedish Short-snouts," Harry gestured to a blue dragon that sat with the others of his kind, sleeping. "they're known to shoot blue flames from their noses." Harry told her. Ginny grinned and crept around the side of the bolder to look at more of the dragons.

"Oh, look, Harry! An old friend." Ginny said, grinning, looking at one of the dragons. It had black scales and bronze horns and wasn't by any other dragons. It looked at the others testily, trying to claw its way over as though edging them on. Harry glared at the Hungarian Horntail and went to sit beside her.

"We meet again." he said quietly, giving it the death stare. He knew it wasn't the same dragon that he had to slay in the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, but still. Their species had made an impression on Harry that would never be changed. Ginny saw a dragon she didn't recognize but it was all alone and it was absolutely huge.

"What dragon is that?" Ginny inquired, staring at its rough scales and purple eyes.

"Hebridean Black. I'm surprised it's even here. It's been known to take up hundreds of square miles and that's just for one dragon. Charlie said that this was a very rare sight. He told me these dragons never meet anywhere else and that usually, some sort of fight starts. When it does, I think we should leave." Harry added nervously as he watched the Horntail edge towards a Chinese Fireball, who just hissed loudly and let out a warning growl.

"No, I want to watch! It'd be interesting!" Ginny said excitedly. Harry shrugged.

"Okay, if you insist. But, if it gets too violent, I'm getting you out of there."

"Yes, mother." Ginny rolled her eyes. Harry grinned and looked around. He pointed out another dragon.

"That's the Welsh Green. He's the gentler one of the dragon species." Harry said with admiration as he stared at the beautiful beast, who was with six or seven others, sunbathing.

"He's beautiful," Ginny said. She pointed out another. "That's the Norwegian Ridgeback." She said, pointing to the muddy brown dragon who was looking at the Horntail with interest, flaring its huge nostrils.

"And there's the Opaleye. She's gorgeous," Harry murmured, staring at the multicolored dragon, who sparkled slightly in the sunlight.

"I thought they lived in valleys. I read about them once." Ginny said confused.

"Yeah, but Charlie says they come up here to find mates sometimes and there's just the one girl dragon here. They're also the most docile so they won't attack anything unless they're hungry or provoked." Harry explained. Ginny nodded and heard a roar from the left hand side. She turned and saw a dragon with particularly long horns and dark green scales.

"That's a Longhorn, isn't it?" Ginny asked.

"Yep. I guess it was named aptly enough," Harry chuckled quietly. Then, they heard a tiny rasp of a roar from one of the dragons they hadn't seen yet. This dragon was easily three times smaller than any of the other dragons and had copper-colored scales with black ridge marks along his back. Harry recognized it immediately and started to back away a little. "Uh, Ginny, I think we should go." He whispered as the dragon sniffed around, his large, fierce eyes observing the dragons before him.

"Why?" Ginny asked quietly. She caught sight of the little dragon and smirked. "It's just a baby dragon, Harry. Why're you freaking out?"

"That's a Peruvian Vipertooth! It's the dragon most known for killing and eating humans. It's really dangerous. I think we should leave now." Harry said, his voice slightly panicked. Ginny scoffed and looked back at the dragon.

"Oh please, I don't think it would hurt anyone. It's so small!" Ginny said.

"Ginny-,"

Harry didn't have time to finish. The Vipertooth and the Hungarian Horntail had spotted each other. The rival dragons roared at one another and the Chinese Fireballs got well out of their way, as did the other dragons. The Opaleye immediately took flight, seeing the conflict starting, getting off the mountain peak. The Longhorns began to back off as well, although the growls in their throats sounded as though they were egging them on. The Hebridean Blacks were also lining up at the tiny Vipertooth, their jaws snapping as fire hissed at the back of their noses. Harry's eyes widened as the Swedish Short-snouts seemed to get in the middle of it all, trying to prevent the violence from happening. The Welsh Greens and the Norwegian Ridgebacks, however, saw a lost case and took flight as well, getting as far away from the peak as possible.

The Horntail soon got annoyed with the Swedish Short-Snout's attempts to stop conflict and opened its mouth to shoot blazing hot fire at the dragons. Immediately, the Short-Snouts took flight with a yowl of surprise, their large wings flapping frantically, making the trees almost bend with the amount of wind they produced. Harry felt his hair ruffle with the wind and quickly took Ginny's hand, but she wouldn't budge.

The Vipertooth lined up to the Horntail and began to click it's razor-sharp teeth at him, circling. The Horntail didn't hesitate; he quickly shot his long flames at the little dragon. Harry felt the heat of the flames even from behind the bolder. He shut his eyes for a moment, and when he reopened his eyes, the Vipertooth had disappeared. Harry looked around, confused-even the Horntail seemed somewhat perplexed.

Then, with loud swooshes of wind, the Vipertooth reappeared on the back of the Horntail along with seven others, who were now shooting fire at the Horntail, who was wriggling around, trying to hit them with its sharp horned-tail. He roared in anger as the Vipertooths bit and clawed into the Horntail's rough scaly skin. The Chinese Fireballs flew out of the way as the Horntail toppled and swung its tail blindly. The Fireballs hovered for a few moments before they also flew off. Harry saw the Vipertooth's bite marks on the Horntail's skin and he knew he was done. The Vipertooths had venomous fangs; with the amount that they were biting him, he'd be dead in just a few minutes. Soon, the Horntail had collapsed onto the ground, roaring in pain, his tail swinging madly.

"Ginny, please! We need to leave!" Harry screamed over the growling and roaring of the dragons. Ginny finally agreed, but just as she turned to leave with him, a shadow covered the sun and Ginny looked up to see the biggest dragon she'd ever laid eyes on swoop down way too close to them. She screamed shrilly, her eyes wide, and pulled Harry to the ground with her, laying there on her stomach as the huge dragon swooped down and landed on the peak. The dragon grabbed the Vipertooth in his mouth and flung it down the mountain. He then turned back to the other five or six Vipertooths and, one by one, tore them off the Horntail, sometimes crushing them in its ginormous mouth or sometimes throwing them, which killed them instantly. The roaring and hissing from the remaining Vipertooth was loud, but then the huge dragon opened its mouth and let out the loudest roar that Ginny had ever heard. It shook the ground and made Ginny freeze in fear, not able to move. The Ukrainian Ironbelly roared at full volume and the small Vipertooth cowered away, then turned and flew off at the speed of lightning. The Ironbelly then turned to the Hungarian Horntail, who had gotten up and was now trying to attack the Ironbelly. Harry got to his knees and then felt the blow of the Horntail's sharp spikey tail hit the boulder they were hiding behind. He screamed and ducked as the boulder smashed to pieces and flew at him. He pushed Ginny down and laid on top of her to protect her. He felt the pieces of rock ricochet off his body and he felt blood trickle down his back.

The Horntail heard Harry's scream and saw the two humans laying on the ground. He roared loudly and tried to move to attack the two of them, lining up to them. Harry scrambled to get up, pulling Ginny with him protectively, breathing quickly. He heard the whistle of fire as the Horntail began to prepare to shoot flames at them. Then, he opened his mouth and Harry shielded Ginny with his body, closing his eyes. He waited…and he waited…but the fire didn't come. He peeked through his eyelashes and saw, instead, the Ironbelly stepping on the Horntail, holding him down under him. The Ironbelly growled as the Horntail roared in frustration and tried to get away. Harry quickly grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her away from the dragons, running into the forest, down the mountain. Harry heard the dragons roaring in the distance and his eyes widened as he ran with Ginny, who fought to keep up. Harry pushed his legs faster until the growls subsided into the trees, leaving only birds twittering overhead. Ginny and Harry slowed to a slow jog and then to a walk. Ginny clutched a stitch in her side and Harry bent over, trying to catch his breath. After they could both breathe, Ginny looked at Harry and saw the blood on his back. Her eyes widened.

"Harry. You're bleeding…" Ginny said tentatively. Harry reached back and touched his bloody back for a moment and then sighed.

"Well, this is great." he said quietly. Ginny gave him a sad look and quickly looked around. She saw their cabin nearby and she quickly took his hand, pulling him towards it. When they got inside, Ginny sat him on the couch.

"I know how to fix it," Ginny told him, taking out her wand. "Take off your shirt." She ordered as she rolled up her sleeves. Harry smirked at her, trying to make light of the situation.

"Yes ma'am." he said cheekily, taking off his shirt which had tears in the back. Ginny made him lay down on his stomach and she quickly began healing the scratches on his back. Ginny felt guilt climb up her throat.

"Harry, I'm-I'm really sorry," Ginny said quietly. "I should've listened to you. I should have left when you said we should've." Ginny said as she tried to heal his wounds.

"It's alright, Ginny. You were curious." Harry said. The cuts didn't even hurt that much. They were just large.

"No, really," Ginny said quietly. To her surprise, as she cleaned Harry's back and saw the blood on her fingers, she felt tears come to her eyes. She blinked them back, suddenly extremely sullen and guilt-ridden. "I-I'm really sorry, Harry." her voice cracked. When Harry heard her voice choke, he turned around and saw the tears running down her face. Harry stared at her for a moment, shocked as she turned her head to hide the tears but he sat up and took her face in his hand. He brushed a tear away with his thumb, making her look in his eyes.

"Ginny, its okay, really. Please don't cry. It wasn't your fault." Harry pleaded, somewhat scared. Ginny never cried, not for anything. This was definitely weird for her.

"B-But you're hurt." Ginny sobbed uncontrollably as her mind scrambled with confusion. She didn't know why she was crying either.

"No, no," Harry kissed her lips softly and pulled back to look at her again. "I'm not hurt. You fixed me. Please don't cry Ginny. Please." Harry said, his voice gentle. After a few moments, Ginny finally snapped out of it. She wiped her tears away and looked at the wetness on her hand as though she'd never seen tears before. She swallowed and quickly stood up.

"I'm sorry, I'm okay now," she said quickly. "I think I'm going to go lie down for a little while, okay?" Ginny said. Harry hesitated on the couch.

"Okay…" Harry said quietly. Ginny forced a reassuring smile, kissed his cheek and then went to their bedroom. Ginny shut the door and quickly climbed into bed, laying on her back. _It must be because I didn't sleep well, _Ginny thought. _Or maybe it's because of that potion Hermione gave me before the wedding. _But, even as Ginny laid there, she knew that she had no idea what was happening to her. It was all so confusing to her; she'd never been so emotional in her life. She kept trying to come up with ideas as to what was going on but, in the end, she came up with nothing. How could she not know what was happening with her own body?

Ginny sighed and stared at the ceiling for a moment, consumed in thought. That's when the cat she had rescued this morning climbed up onto her bed. Ginny looked over as it mewed at her happily, purring away. Ginny petted its head and stroked her hand along it's back. The cat licked her hand and then it put a paw on her torso. It jumped onto her body and curled in a ball over her stomach, immediately shutting its eyes. Ginny blinked at the cat, bewildered as to why it would lay there. After a moment of pondering, Ginny just closed her eyes and fell asleep like that on her bed, surprisingly tired for only being part of a few hours of activity. Ginny was sure whatever was going on with her would show itself eventually as it inevitably would. Ginny let herself fall asleep and as she did, she dreamed odd dreams that no one could even try explaining.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter forty-one: Realization

Around a week passed since the married couple had begun their honeymoon. All week, the two couples had been finding things to do around town including some of the most memorable moments for Hermione when Ron took her to Switzerland's largest and oldest library. She was thrilled beyond words and didn't leave the library until it closed at 10:00. Ron was enjoying himself all too much since he got there. When they didn't go out, Ron would lounge around in his pajamas all day and go fishing in the pond at the edge of the forest.

Hermione had been itching to go swimming in the waterfall outside of the cabin since they got there so, on a beautiful spring day, Hermione grabbed her wand, knowing Ron would wander back through the forest at any moment from his fishing trip, and she slipped her clothes off, hiding them, along with her wand, behind a bush. She climbed into the water as she looked around at the beautiful scene in front of her and she quickly ducked herself under. The water wasn't cold, as she expected- it was warm from the sun and was very refreshing. Hermione actually loved to swim. Since the only sport Hermione would dare play was swimming, her parents put her in it at a young age so that she could get exercise and keep fit but she didn't stay in it long.

Footsteps sounded close to where Hermione was and she knew it was Ron. She smiled and quickly swam over to the waterfall, her hair dripping down her back. She knew Ron would hear her. She simply went over to the waterfall and let the water wash over her face for a moment, waiting. Finally, as expected, she felt strong arms wind around her torso and familiar lips kiss along her collar bone. Hermione smiled softly and leaned against Ron's bare chest.

"Do you understand how horrible it's going to be to leave this place?" Hermione asked him quietly, closing her eyes, just listening to the sound of the water.

"Yeah, I can imagine," Ron mumbled against her skin. "I'm not going to want to leave either." He admitted. Hermione smiled and turned around, putting her arms around his broad shoulders, looking into his eyes.

"How are we going to motivate ourselves to leave, then? We might be stuck here if we don't decide on a departure date." Hermione told him. Ron chuckled and moved a strand of hair out of her face, smiling.

"I think we'll manage. Besides, I want to try to enjoy this for as long as I can before we get busy with life again." Ron said quietly. Hermione nodded thoughtfully.

"I want to enjoy it too. It's been so lovely here. But, in a sense, I'm glad to be getting busy with life. I'm excited to start my new job and to have a house of my own and reading books." Her voice wandered off after a moment, thinking about all the books she'd get to read when she got back home. Ron grinned.

"Is a family anywhere on that list yet, Hermione?" he asked her. Hermione looked at Ron and giggled.

"Perhaps someday. I just want to make sure we settle down before having a family. To be perfectly honest, I haven't thought that far yet." She admitted. He chuckled at her again, pulling her closer in his long arms.

"What's this I hear? Hermione not thinking on the future?" Ron smirked. Hermione stuck her tongue out at him childishly and laughed.

"Oh, shut up. I just haven't thought of a family until you brought it up." Hermione told him. Ron smirked and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering on her skin.

"And what do you think now that I've brought it up?" Ron asked. Hermione closed her eyes when his lips touched her temple and tried to concentrate.

"…Someday, yes," Hermione began softly. "But not right now. I really want to work for a little while before we settle down. I want to live before we dedicate our lives to something else." Hermione told him. Ron pulled back and smiled at her, holding her close to his chest.

"Alright, deal. I'm just saying, though, mum and dad expect a lot of grandkids." Ron teased. Hermione burst out laughing and shoved him away.

"Do they?" she asked. Ron laughed with her but Hermione swam quickly away, diving under the water and Ron chased her with a grin on his face as they swam under the waterfall and continued with their honeymoon indulgent.

Back in Romania, Ginny had woken up from her long nap, which had lasted all through the night. Harry was already up and he didn't seem to be there. Ginny got up and saw a note on the fridge written from Harry.

_Dear Ginny, _

_I've gone to get some food and a few souvenirs I promised to get for George and Bill. I'll be back as soon as I can._

_ Yours, Harry._

Ginny looked at the note for a moment before she put it back on the fridge and she went to sit down on the couch, pulling out a Quidditch magazine. Ginny flipped through a couple pages before she found the updates on her favorite teams. A light meowing sound came from beside her as the cat came and perched itself on her lap, purring. Ginny smiled and petted behind her ears as she read. The cat kept rubbing it's tiny head against her torso and Ginny finally got a little annoyed and she looked down at the cat.

"What're you up to?" she asked it. The cat simply kept rubbing its head against her stomach, purring loudly. Ginny sighed and quickly began reading again. The cat looked up at her with its big eyes and meowed loudly. Ginny knew she wouldn't be able to read so she set the magazine aside and quickly petted the cat again, giving it attention. "What should we call you? I haven't got a clue what kind of name suits you. I'm not good at naming things. I named my brother's owl Pigwidgeon. I don't think he'll ever forgive me for that," Ginny told the cat. The cat simply licked her hand and Ginny looked around for a source to help her name the cat. She saw the Quidditch Magazine and smiled brightly at the cat. "Let's let Quidditch decide, shall we?" she picked up the magazine again and flipped it open. "Hmm… we have Holly. We have Gretchen, but that name is horrible, even for a cat," Ginny said. The cat just stared as she named off the Quidditch stars. "We have Francis. Oh! Piper! I like that name. Do you like it?" Ginny asked the cat. The cat purred at her, rubbing against her once again. Ginny smiled. "Piper it is. I know Harry won't mind because he likes the Jabberhead Jaguars too." Ginny said as the cat continued to press its head against her torso. She stared at the cat for a moment before she questioned its actions once again. Cats don't normally act this way. It was odd for it to not rub against her legs or anything. Ginny felt her head get scrambled and she got frustrated and she gently moved the cat off her, standing up. She quickly went to the washroom and got out of her pajamas, not looking at herself in the mirror as she climbed in the shower and turned the faucet on, making sure the water was hot. When it was warm enough, Ginny ducked her head under the scolding water, letting it run over her long, ginger hair. She sighed in relaxation, letting her muscles unknot.

Ginny took her time in the shower, washing her hair carefully, which she did twice without thinking. Once her hair was washed and neatly combed, she washed her body but as she ran the soap over her stomach, she paused momentarily, her hand freezing. When Ginny looked down through the steamy air of the shower, she saw her own light skin and then she saw her stomach, which was usually very flat. Ginny stared at the subtle, small bump protruding from her skinny torso and she blinked, unable to comprehend it. It didn't look like she'd gained weight at all. It just looked like a small bump on her torso. The rest of Ginny's body was flat and thin, like usual- all except this bump.

Immediately, being her mother's daughter, Ginny began listing off illnesses that involve the subtle bloating of the bottom of the abdomen. It could be a tumor, some sort of stomach disease, a type of skin infection or just due to her period. But then, something clicked. An alarm went off in Ginny's mind when she realized that she hadn't gotten her period in nearly three months. Ginny stood in the hot shower, staring at her torso in shock as she counted the days since her last period. It scared her when she found out that she could hardly remember the last time she had her period. Ginny tried to backtrack through the last couple months as she remembered all of her mysterious symptoms: mood swings, vomiting, crying attacks, lengthily sleep spells, back aches, weight gain. They all led up to one thing that Ginny was most afraid of.

Ginny stood frozen in the shower and when she was able to move again, she shut off the water and stumbled out, drying herself off with a towel, her hands shaking. She refused to stare at herself in the mirror in fear that she might have an anxiety attack. She ran to her room, got dressed and snatched her handbag from the floor under her and Harry's bed. She rummaged through it for a moment before she found what she was looking for; a cell phone that Hermione had given her to use in case of emergencies. She was scared to Apperate or do anything for that matter, but she needed to talk to Hermione and get a second opinion. She wondered why she or Hermione didn't realize it before. She was shocked that she hadn't even considered it as an option before now. With trembling hands, Ginny dialed Hermione's number, which was on a pad of paper that was in her bag as well. Hermione had taught her how to use a cell phone before they left just in case Ginny needed to contact her right away, since Owl post would take too long.

The phone rung and rung and Ginny waited impatiently for Hermione to pick up her cell phone.

Back in Switzerland, Hermione was combing her hair, having also just come out of the shower, staring at herself in the mirror pleasantly. Ron had gone out to reserve a restaurant for them and would be back soon. Hermione sighed as she put down her hair brush and heard a sound in the silence. She blinked when she realized her cell phone was ringing. Hermione quickly turned around and followed the sound of her ringtone until she found the phone and pressed the answer button without looking at who it was. She put it to her ear.

"Hello?" she answered. Ginny took a deep, deliberate breath.

"Hermione, it's me, Ginny." She said quickly, pacing the room, her breath short and ragged with fear.

"Oh, hey Ginny!" Hermione said brightly, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder as she reorganized her vanity neatly. "How are you?"

"Well, um…I could be better," Ginny admitted as she paced back and forth, fidgeting with the bottom of her shirt nervously. "Uh, Hermione? I think I know why I've been getting so sick. I-I didn't know why I didn't realize it before." Ginny told her. Hermione smiled.

"Oh, that's great Ginny! You've figured it out!"

"You won't want to praise me once you've found out what it is." Ginny told her tentatively, feeling the anxiety build up inside her. Hermione kept fixing her vanity, putting on perfume and stowing away a necklace she'd brought with her.

"Well, tell me already! Maybe I can help to get rid of it."

"I don't think this is going away anytime soon." Ginny said. Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Would you just tell me, Ginny?" she pleaded.

"You have to promise you won't freak out or anything, okay? I can't handle it if you do." Ginny said anxiously.

"Okay, Ginny, I promise. Now, tell me." Hermione said to her urgently. Ginny stopped pacing, facing the wall, her eyes on the ground. She gulped nervously and took another deep breath before finally telling her.

"…I'm pregnant." Ginny said. There was a silence on the other end. Hermione, who was in mid-motion, picking something up to put it away, froze and dropped it. She grabbed the phone from off her shoulder and put it as close to her ear as possible, staring at nothing, her mind jumbled at the sound of that word. Hermione couldn't speak for a moment, dumbfounded by the very thought that she might be pregnant. When Hermione figured out how to form words, she spoke again.

"…Pregnant…" Hermione said quietly. Ginny waited anxiously for her to say something else. "…Of-of course!" Ginny blinked as she held the phone to her ear, fear building in her chest. "Wait a minute. Are you absolutely sure you're pregnant?" she asked.

"Yes." She said quickly.

"Have you taken a test?" Hermione inquired. Ginny shook her head.

"No." she said.

"Then how do you know that you're pregnant?" Hermione asked her, kind of exasperated. Ginny swallowed and looked down at her torso again. the bump was visible, showing through her shirt just a little. It was probably noticeable because she just found out.

"I…There's a bump…" Ginny told her awkwardly. Hermione felt her blood run cold inside her as she remembered trying to get her into her wedding dress two weeks ago when the zipper wouldn't close.

"…How big?" she asked, understanding what she said immediately.

"I haven't noticed it until now but now that I have, it looks big enough," Ginny told her. Hermione could hear the anxiety rising in her voice. "…Bloody Merlin, Hermione…it's really noticeable. W-What am I going to tell Harry? What am I going to tell mum and dad? They'll know I had sex before getting married! What do I do?!" Ginny asked, hysteria clogging her voice. She was shaking like a leaf, her heart beating fast as she clutched onto the phone.

"Ginny, calm down, okay? W-We can figure this out. We can. We just have to think," Hermione told her, now pacing the length of her room, the wheels in her brain spinning. "You have to tell them the truth. Harry needs to know now. It's inevitable that he'll find out." she said. Ginny felt herself get choked up with tears again at the thought of it. It was scaring her.

"I-I can't do that…Hermione, I'm freaking out. I don't know how to do that!"

"Ginny, its okay. Where's Harry?" Hermione asked her. Ginny looked around frantically and remembered he was out.

"He's out getting souvenirs." Ginny told her quickly.

"Okay, do you need me to come over there?" Hermione asked. Ginny swallowed.

"Yes. I don't know what to do." Ginny repeated, totally flustered. Hermione nodded.

"Okay, I'll Apperate over." Hermione told her. Just then, Ginny heard the front door open and Harry walked inside the cabin. Ginny stood petrified in her bedroom.

"_Wait!_" she hissed into the phone. Hermione froze, listening to her. "Harry's back. Hermione, what do I do?! _Tell me what to do!"_ Ginny whispered frantically, trying to run out of Harry's sight as he stored the food away in the cupboards.

"Just keep calm, Ginny. You have to tell him." Hermione said, standing in the middle of her room, trying to stay calm herself.

"_I can't do that!" _Ginny hissed.

"_Just try!" _The front door opened at Hermione's cabin as well and Ron walked in. "I have to go. Ron just walked in. Do I tell Ron?" Hermione asked. Ginny heard Harry walking towards the room and her finger slipped on the 'End conversation' button, making Hermione's voice disappear, ending their call. Hermione listened to the dial tone for a moment before she pulled the phone back. Ron came in the room and wrapped his arms around her waist lovingly, seeing the phone in her hands.

"Hey there. Who was calling?" Ron asked her curiously. Hermione swallowed and put the phone down, turning around to look at him.

"It was Ginny." She said quietly. She had to decide whether to tell him or not. She _was _his sister, after all. He had a right to know.

"Oh," Ron smiled. "How's she doing? Is Harry having fun?" he asked. Hermione looked away awkwardly.

"Oh, I'm sure he is," Hermione muttered. She cleared her throat, making up her mind. "Ginny…Ginny could be better, though." She admitted. Ron's eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"Why? What's wrong with her?" Ron asked.

"Nothing's_ wrong _with her," Hermione said hesitantly. She swallowed again, very nervous as to how he'd react. "She's, uh, just a tad shocked."

"Shocked? How so?" Ron pushed on. Hermione sighed and just decided to have out with it.

"…She thinks she's pregnant." Hermione said quickly, getting it over with. Ron's face dropped like a rock as he stared at Hermione, his blue eyes slightly dazed. Hermione waited for his reaction. Finally, when he recovered, he did something Hermione didn't expect: he laughed.

"Oh please," Ron chortled. "Do you seriously think I'm that stupid, Hermione?" Ron asked her. Hermione blinked.

"I beg your pardon?" she said taken aback.

"Ginny isn't pregnant! She can't be pregnant! She can't realize that she's pregnant after two weeks of having sex! That's like saying you're pregnant except we used protection." Ron told her, still laughing. Hermione's cheeks reddened as she spoke.

"Ronald, just think about what you're saying. You're saying Harry and Ginny waited to be married before having sex, correct?" Hermione said. Ron nodded.

"Of course they would! Why would they have sex before getting married?" Ron questioned. Hermione arched an eyebrow.

"Why wouldn't they?" she asked back. Ron's face started to get a little less cheerful, his smile inching away.

"Because my sister has morals. So does Harry." Ron told her. Hermione crossed her arms.

"Do we share these morals, Ron? Do you have the same morals as your sister?" Hermione inquired. Ron's face slowly melted into confusion and denial.

"It's different with Ginny. She's a girl." Ron said. Hermione immediately jumped on that.

"Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked dangerously.

"It means it's different! She wouldn't have sex with Harry! And Harry wouldn't have dared have sex with Ginny without telling me!" Ron told her.

"So, that's what you're thinking about right now? Whether he told you or not?" Hermione asked him incredulously. His expression became angry.

"No! This is about Harry having sex with my sister before they were married!" Ron said.

"Well, she's pregnant, Ron. She knows it for a fact." Hermione said.

"How does she know for sure?" Ron asked skeptically. Hermione hesitated, her arms crossed.

"…It's noticeable…even now," Hermione told him. Ron felt hatred like lava build up inside himself, hot and furious. He couldn't believe Harry didn't tell him about this. If it was noticeable, Ron knew they'd had sex for months before this. Of course he didn't care whether they waited until marriage. He knew it ruined his trust with Harry. He was so angry that he snatched his wand from the desk and marched outside. Hermione followed him. "Where are you going?" Hermione exclaimed as she walked. Ron kept walking furiously, his eyes glaring out at the grass as he got ready to Disapperate. "Ron! Where are you going?!"

Without any warning, Ron was suddenly gone, leaving Hermione alone. Hermione felt herself go cold again, realizing what he was doing. Hermione ran inside, grabbed her wand and went outside again. She then turned on the spot and Disapperated to Harry and Ginny's cabin in Romania.

When Hermione got there, she heard Ron's voice as he spoke loudly. Hermione rushed inside to hear Ginny's voice as well and then she made her way towards the bedroom. When she opened the door, she saw Ron striding towards Harry, his eyes burning with hatred, his fists balled up. Ginny stared in horror as Harry looked at Ron with confused eyes.

"Ron, what's the matter-?" Harry tried, his voice shocked. Ron kept walking towards him, his expression promising violence.

"You bastard," Ron growled. "You complete _bastard!_" He got close enough and took a swing at Harry. His fist connected nicely with his face, making a sharp smacking sound. Ginny jumped, squeaking in fear as Harry's head bounced off the wall. Harry tried to understand what was going on.

"Ron, what the-?!"

"You slept with my sister! _You slept with my bloody sister!" _Ron hissed. Harry stared at him with huge, shocked eyes.

"Of course I did! We're married!" Harry exclaimed incredulously.

"No! You know that's not what I mean!" Ron yelled. "_You_ slept with her before you were married! _Before!__" _Ron said, punching him again quite hard. Harry held his nose, which was bleeding a little, his mouth hanging open.

"Ron, what are you talking about?!" Harry asked loudly, trying to back away from him as Ron kept advancing, breathing rather quickly.

"She's _pregnant, _you bleeder!" Ron screamed in his face, pointing at Ginny, trembling from head to foot. There was a moment of swelling silence as Harry's face melted into a blank stare. Ginny stood there, her mouth open, shaking as Harry turned to face her, his eyes only on her face. His expression then transformed into shock.

"P-pregnant?" Harry whispered. He looked like someone had clubbed him over the head. When Ginny could, she nodded and then Harry's face transformed into a new expression: hurt.

"Yeah, pregnant, you twit!" Ron yelled furiously. Harry turned to him, his eyes so confused. "You did this to her! You did this to _my sister! _How could you do that?!" Ron asked, his eyes flaming. Harry began to get angry.

"I didn't do anything you did to Hermione, Ron! We both didn't wait!" He fought back.

"Yeah, but that's my sister! I trusted you!" Ron exclaimed.

"And I consider Hermione a sister! I'm not pissed that you slept with her, am I?" Harry shot back. Ron flinched.

"You would if you actually cared!" Ron snarled nastily at him. This time Harry threw the punch, hitting him right across the face with his fist. Hermione stood there, shocked, not sure what to do, rooted on the spot.

"How dare you! I care about Hermione!" Harry screamed.

"Rubbish!" Ron hissed as he rubbed his face, glaring at him. "You don't care about anybody. Not Ginny, not Hermione, not even me! You act like betraying my trust is nothing!"  
"I didn't betray your trust at all! Just because I didn't tell you about this doesn't mean I betrayed your trust! I didn't know I had to tell you about every little detail of our lives! It's ridiculous, Ron! I wasn't going to tell you about what Ginny and I do behind closed doors whether you're her brother or not! She's my wife!" Harry said loudly, pointing at Ginny, who flinched away from them both. Ron's eyes flared up with rage.

"I told you everything about Hermione and I and you told me nothing! You lied to me and said you'd never done it before! I thought you were my friend!" Ron yelled.

"I am! But I didn't want to tell you because it's your sister! It's weird, mate!" He said. Ron glared at him.

"That's just an excuse. You know what? I'm done," Ron picked up his wand from the ground, clenching his jaw. The room was silent. "I'm done with all of you! And _you-!" _Ron pointed at his sister, who jumped a foot in the air. "You kept this from me as well! How could you do that?! I'm your brother!"

"Ron! Please, just listen!"

"No! I will not listen! You kept this from me when you knew I had the right to know! You're just as bad as he is!" Ron snarled, looking at Harry, who glared at him. Hermione took her turn. She went over and touched his arm, trying to soothe him.

"Ron, please, just calm down-," Ron pushed her hands away harshly.

"Don't _touch _me!" he growled. "You didn't tell me either. I know you know. You're too damn smart not to have figured it out!" Ron said at Hermione. Hermione stared at him, completely gobsmacked. Ron looked around at them all with harsh eyes before his eyes rested on Hermione's shocked face. "…So much for trust."

And with that, Ron walked out of the cabin and Disapperated away.

The room swelled with raw silence that overpowered Hermione's ability to talk. She stood there, her body towards the door that Ron just left out of, trying to make sense of what just occurred. Everything just happened so quickly.

Harry's voice broke the awful silence.

"You knew. You knew and you didn't tell me," he said. Ginny looked over at Harry, her eyes frightened. "You told Ron but not me?" you could hear the hurt in his voice.

"I didn't tell Ron, Harry!" Ginny cried desperately. Harry looked at Hermione, his eyes now lifeless. The guilt coming from Hermione seemed overpowering.

"I'm sorry, Harry. Ginny just told me about this and I didn't know whether I should-," Hermione tried but Harry held up his hand to stop her. It was relevant that he didn't want to hear this from her. He turned to Ginny with a look of hurt on his face.

"Harry please," Ginny started. "I-I just figured it out a couple hours ago. I was scared! I phoned Hermione because I didn't know whether to tell you or not-,"

"You weren't going to tell me, Ginny?" Harry asked, his anger peaking. Ginny tried to talk again but Harry wouldn't let her. "I can't believe this." he muttered.

"Please, Harry, just listen-," Ginny started. Harry just shook his head.

"No. There's nothing to listen to, Ginny. I understand." Harry picked up his wand and glanced at both of them before he turned and walked out of their room. Ginny looked at Hermione and then followed him.

"Harry, please, don't do this!" she said frantically as she ran after him.

"I need some space, okay? I just need some space from this right now." Hermione heard Harry say.

"But Harry, I'm…" there was a pause as Ginny looked at him. "I'm pregnant. You're going to be a dad. Are you even a little bit happy about this?" Ginny asked him. Ron's words filled Harry's head. _You did this to her! You did this to my sister! _Harry looked at Ginny, who looked as frightened as he felt.

"Are you?" Harry asked simply. Ginny blinked. "You do realize what this means, right? No Quidditch Leagues, Ginny. Our lives have changed." He said. Ginny felt realization leak onto her features. She quickly recovered, trying not to think about her future.

"I didn't ask that. I asked whether _you _are happy with becoming a father." Ginny said to him. Harry thought about that for a moment, choosing his words carefully. When he was ready, he said what he'd come up with.

"I don't know how to feel about it. I suppose right now all I can think about is how much I've ruined your future. But that's my burden to bear," he said quietly.

"Harry-,"

"Don't," Harry said bluntly, making Ginny freeze on the spot. "I have to think about this, figure some things out. I need space," Harry told her truthfully. Ginny didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry, Ginny." Harry said. With one last look, Harry turned on the spot and Disapperated, disappearing into thin air.

With the soft wind blowing in the clearing outside their cabin on the edge of the mountain, Ginny felt tears climb to her eyes as she stared at the spot where her husband was seconds previously as she fully realized how very much her honeymoon had ended in these last couple seconds.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter forty-two: A visit to St. Mungo's

The shock of the recent happenings soon wore off and Hermione knew it was her job to take care of Ginny until both Harry and Ron had come to their senses. So, when Hermione went outside to stand beside Ginny, who was still waiting hopefully outside where Harry had Disapperated, she only had one question for her.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Hermione asked her. Ginny continued staring blankly into the distance of the mountainside with tired eyes as she answered slowly.

"No, not home. I can't tell anyone else today." She said weakly, her voice trembling with fresh tears. Hermione nodded quickly and patted her arm soothingly.

"Okay. How about I take you to my place? We can pack, go there, think things over. I'm thinking you should also go to St. Mungo's for a checkup since you haven't had one yet." Hermione said carefully. Ginny seemed overwhelmed by what Hermione was saying so she just nodded slightly. Hermione saw that as an 'okay' and went back inside. She swished her wand and all of Ginny and Harry's belongings packed themselves neatly in their trunks. When she was ready, she carried the bags outside, giving the house one last look before she went outside again. Hermione noticed how Ginny hadn't moved from the spot in which she left her in. She went over to her and set the bags down. That was when Hermione heard the tiny cat meowing from inside the house. She turned around and saw the little black kitten prancing out of the house towards Ginny. Ginny, who heard the cat, turned also and picked it up when it came close enough.

"This is Piper," Ginny explained when Hermione raised an eyebrow. "I found her." she said.

"Are we taking her with us?" Hermione inquired. Ginny nodded quietly, holding the cat close to her chest, finding comfort in her warm fur. Hermione nodded once more, took out her wand and swished it again, making the bags disappear. She then took Ginny's free hand, took a deep breath and Apperated to her house.

Ron and Hermione's house wasn't huge, obviously. They bought what they could afford and something that was close to Mrs. Weasley, just in case of emergencies. Their house was in a little village just a 30 minute walk to the Burrow.

11 When Ginny and Hermione walked in, everything was where it had been when Hermione had moved her stuff in a few weeks previous to the wedding. They walked into the foyer, which had a homey living room to the left and a small kitchen to the right, a staircase leading upstairs separating the two rooms. Upstairs, there was a room for Ron and Hermione and two other bedrooms for guests. There was also a washroom and in the basement, there was an empty room that Hermione wanted to make into an office for either herself or Ron and since Ron seemed to not want to complete his last year as quickly as she wanted him to, the room would most likely be made into an office for her.

Ginny walked in hesitantly with the cat and looked around. The smell of paint still lingered in the air slightly and the carpeted and wooden floors of their house seemed brand new. It was obvious that Hermione and Ron weren't finished unpacking because the walls had no pictures on them, there was little to no furniture actually set up in the living room and the rooms seemed rather empty. Hermione walked right into the house, having been here before.

"Come on in. I'm sorry it's such a mess. I just sent some of my stuff over here a couple weeks ago. Your stuff is upstairs in a guest bedroom right now. It should be comfortable for the time being." Hermione said quickly as she put her wand in her pocket. Ginny held onto Piper, afraid to let her roam free just yet, just in case she didn't want a cat in here. But when Ginny heard a twitter from Pig, Ron's tiny owl and saw Crookshanks on a living room chair, snoozing, she felt a little better about having Piper here.

"Should I put Piper somewhere?" Ginny asked her. Hermione shrugged.

"Just set her on the ground. I'll set out some food for her and a place to sleep beside Crookshanks's spot." Hermione said easily as she wandered into the kitchen, waving her wand to turn on lights as she went. Ginny set Piper on the ground and she quickly went to sit beside Crookshanks, who, when the couch cushion sank a little, he startled awake, blinking it's beady eyes. When Crookshanks saw Piper, he immediately jumped up and hissed at her, his back and tail puffing up to twice their size. Piper let out a little cute meow of welcome but Crookshanks continued to growl and hiss at the little kitten angrily. Hermione came back into the room and heard Crookshanks.

"Crookshanks, behave!" she snapped at her cat. She was in no mood for Crookshanks to tear Piper apart. She walked over to Ginny, wiping her hands on her jeans. Ginny looked at her as she walked over. "So," Hermione started. "Should I let you get unpacked first?" she asked.

"No," Ginny said quickly. "I want to go see if I'm right about all of…this," she glanced at her torso and back up. "I want to know whether I am or not before I burden myself on you."

"Ginny, you wouldn't be a burden on anyone," Hermione said kindly, a tiny smile on her face. "But, it's a smart choice." Ginny nodded quietly. Her mood hadn't improved since the whole incident.

"Alright. Should we go then?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded her head 'yes' and they walked outside together, going into the street. Again, Hermione clasped Ginny's hand and they Disapperated to St. Mungo's.

The two of them appeared beside what seemed to be a closed department store with red bricks. Hermione looked up at the sign on the door, which said 'condemned' and then right above it, it read 'Purge and Dowse, Ltd', which was the name of the store. Hermione looked around and saw a window in the bricks. She and Ginny walked over to it and Hermione opened it. She helped Ginny through and then climbed into the window herself. When Hermione turned around, she saw a white room – the foyer of the hospital. Ginny, who had obviously forgotten how huge it was, stared in wonder at the place. Although St. Mungo's was for magical injuries, it was the closest hospital from where Hermione lived, which was convenient. On the first floor, there was a small maternal ward where Healers were trained to deliver babies just in case of emergencies, and also were equipped with anything any maternity ward needed.

Hermione saw the front desk and the old witch sitting behind it, scribbling on a scroll with her quill. She went over to the lady with Ginny doddling beside her. When the lady heard her coming, she glanced up at her from her thin glasses, which perched themselves on the tip of her long nose and were held on her face with strings, she looked rather displeased to see them. Hermione, however, gave her a bright smile.

"Hello there. I was wondering whether you could point us in the direction of the maternal ward." Hermione asked the witch. The old lady pursed her thin lips, looking at Hermione.

"How…unfortunate to be having children so early." She tsked, giving Hermione a depriving look. Hermione immediately felt herself blush and she tried to back-petal out of it.

"Oh, no, no, I-I-," Hermione tried but the lady interrupted.

"Go down the corridor and turn left. It's at the end of the hall." The lady said, licking her forefinger to turn the many pieces of parchment she had on her desk. "Good luck with your motherly endeavors." The lady said before turning back to her paperwork. Hermione gave the lady a nasty look, which she didn't see, before she and Ginny made their way down the hall.

"Really, how rude of her," Hermione snapped, frustrated, as she walked. "You think the desk clerk might be a little less judgemental."

"Well, it's more of a compliment to you. She said you looked young." Ginny objected.

"Which I am," Hermione said as they walked. "I'm young and she doesn't need to tell me that."

"Well, at least you look old enough to have kids. She didn't even consider the fact that I could be having a baby and here I am." Ginny grumbled. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Let's not jump to conclusions, now. Besides, you're only one year younger than me." she said quickly. Ginny shrugged, not in the mood to talk right now. The two of them went inside the Maternity ward and saw the front desk.

"Can we see a doctor about a maternal testing, please?" Hermione asked the lady behind the counter, who was much younger than the one in the foyer.

"Of course," the lady smiled. "Healer Brent is in right now. If you'll just wait over there, I'll call your name when he's ready for you," The lady said. Hermione smiled. "If I can just get your name, that'd be great."

Hermione nodded and looked over at Ginny, whose cheeks went red. She stepped forwards.

"Uh, Ginny, Ginny Potter." She said. The lady's eyebrows pulled together in confusion for a moment as she looked at Ginny. She shook it off and then she nodded.

"Very well, Ginny, I'll call you when the Healer is ready to see you." the lady said. Ginny glanced at her and nodded, going over to sit on the chairs the lady had pointed to. Hermione followed in suit.

"I wonder whether that's how everyone is going to react when I say that I'm pregnant." Ginny mumbled, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room. There were a few pregnant women in the room with their husbands, chatting excitedly with one another.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ginny, nobody is judging you. They're just a little surprised. You're just over-analyzing." Hermione said.

"Yeah, well, you're not the one pregnant here." Ginny muttered darkly.

After a few minutes of waiting, the lady from behind the desk stood up.

"Ginny Potter?" she called. When Ginny stood up, every eye in the room turned on them, each expression more surprised than the next. Hermione stood as well and gave Ginny a slight push on the back to go. As they went, whispers from everyone followed and they quickly walked into the Healer's office and the lady got Ginny's information. After a few minutes of waiting in there, a middle-aged man with brown hair came in wearing a Healer's uniform. He smiled at them as he saw Hermione and Ginny. He held out his hand to Hermione, holding his clipboard.

"Mrs. Ginny Potter, I presume?" he said to Hermione. Hermione gave the man an embarrassed smile.

"No, I'm Mrs. Hermione Weasley. This is Ginny Potter." Said Hermione, motioning to a mortified Ginny. The Healer's face contorted with confusion but he shook hands with Ginny anyway.

"Ah, Mrs. Potter. Lovely to make your acquaints. And may I just say congratulations on marrying Mr. Potter," The Healer said. Ginny nodded quietly in recognition and the Healer sat down in the chair beside them. After a moment of scribbling on his clipboard, he turned back to Ginny. "So, Mrs. Potter, what can I help you with today?" the Healer inquired. Ginny swallowed, her face going bright scarlet – she didn't know how to ask for this sort of thing.

"I was, uh, wondering whether I could get a maternal test." Ginny said quickly, her words a little hard to understand.

"Ah, I see. Have you had any symptoms of pregnancy in the last few weeks?" he asked. Ginny nodded nervously.

"The last few months, actually. I just hadn't caught on until now." Ginny admitted, flushing furiously. Brent nodded quietly.

"How long have you had the symptoms exactly?"

"For about three to four months. I'm not sure exactly when they started." Ginny said, looking at Hermione for support. Hermione nodded reassuringly as the Healer scribbled on his clipboard again.

"Alright," he said, standing up. He looked at Hermione and then back at Ginny. "Where's Mr. Potter?" he asked curiously, looking around as though he thought he'd been there the whole time. Ginny froze, her mind going jumbled again, her face going subtly paler than before. Hermione saw her freeze and quickly covered for her.

"At a previous engagement," Hermione jumped in. "He couldn't make it this time but he reassured us that he'd be there for the next appointment, if there is a next appointment." Hermione said quickly.

Healer Brent nodded, as though it justified for Harry's absence.

"Very well. If you'll both follow me." he said and then led them out of the room and down the hall. He opened the door into another room that had several silver cauldrons bubbling with white liquid that had the texture of milk. It looked somewhat like a science lab and there was a door into another room with a large window much like a police interrogation window used for examining prisoners or victims of a crime. Brent picked up a pair of white robes and handed them to Ginny. "Mrs. Potter, if you could take off your clothes and put these on, we'll get the tests started." He turned around and began preparing some of the white liquid in the cauldron, pouring it into a flask.

Ginny stared at the white robes for a moment before Hermione gave her a soothing look and helped her into the robes. Ginny was practically shaking. She got the robes on and then the Healer handed her the vile of potion.

"Please drink this. It will give me all the information I need," He said. Ginny looked at it hesitantly and then drank it quickly, wanting to get it over with. The look on her face seemed to say that it wasn't a very tasty potion. "Good. Now, if you'll step inside this room, the testing will commence."

Ginny nodded and after Hermione gave her hand a squeeze, she ventured into the room. Hermione watched her through the large window, giving her a reassuring smile. When Hermione looked closer, she saw that the walls were a grey padded material and that there were hundreds of little circular disks implanted in the walls around Ginny from every angle. The Healer went over and tapped on what looked like a keyboard for a moment and then pressed a button beside it.

"Alright Ginny, stand very still." Brent said into a tiny microphone. Ginny all but froze, her joints locking nervously. Brent then pressed a button beside the keyboard and the room buzzed to life. The disks now had light coming from them, shining at Ginny, covering every part of her body. Ginny tried not to jump, but it startled her. The Healer took two of these tests just in case one of them was faulty and then he swished his wand, which stopped the lights and opened the door. He pointed his wand at the screen and extracted the information received from the test. When Ginny came out, he handed her her clothes back. Ginny stumbled into her clothes once again and the Healer led them back to the tiny room they were just in and they sat down. Brent waved his wand and suddenly no less than 20 sheets of paper appeared on the desk. He picked it up and read them over quickly before turning to Ginny with a kind smile on his face.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Potter, you're having a baby." The Healer confirmed. Ginny sat completely still, staring at the man. She couldn't help but feel that pang of shock when he said it. It finally seemed real now. She tried to force a smile to show a response, but Hermione saw how scared she looked. "And the baby is very healthy, as a matter of fact. You're about four months pregnant right now. I also have the sex of the child, if you want to know what it is." The Healer told her. Ginny's head snapped up to look at him so fast, her brain went fuzzy. She stared at him for a moment before she nodded.

"I'd like to know." She said. The Healer gave her a warm smile.

"It's a boy."

There was a moment of silence. Ginny felt another pang of shock hit her body as she sat there, the words '_It's a boy' _ringing in her ears. That triggered a memory in Ginny's mind where Harry was playing with Teddy that one day before the wedding and afterwards, he had said 'If we ever have children, I want a boy.' The thought of making Harry at least a little happy made Ginny smile. Her smile grew even more when she thought about having a little boy, a baby of her own. Sure, she'd never been the maternal type, but she could learn, couldn't she? The concept of having a child scared her, but she knew that somehow, despite the laybacks that occurred earlier that day, that everything would work out in the end. And so, as her expression melted from scared to a warm disbelief, she felt her anxiety go down quite a bit.

Hermione was thrilled, although she was more worried about Ginny right now. She tried to match her level of happiness even though she was gushing on the inside – both of her friends were having a baby boy. She could hardly withhold her emotions. When they were ready, Ginny and Hermione stood up, both of them smiling. Ginny shook hands with the Healer.

"Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Brent." Ginny thanked him. Brent smiled happily.

"It was my pleasure. You should come back in a few months for a checkup, alright? You can always contact me here if you need to but I seriously doubt it'd be a problem." he said confidently. Ginny smiled and nodded.

"Alright, brilliant." She said. Brent then turned to Hermione and his face changed a bit, his smile becoming more curious.

"Have you been for a checkup as of late, Mrs. Weasley?" he inquired. Hermione shook her head.

"No, not in quite a while, why?" She asked him.

"Well, there's been a mandatory rule made quite recently that all patients should have a full checkup when they come in, just to make sure that there isn't any new diseases roaming around St. Mungo's. We somehow had a nasty case of Krinklepox a couple months ago and the entire hospital went into quarantine. It's a mandatory procedure now." Brent explained. Hermione nodded.

"Of course. Well, I'd be happy to have the checkup if it's mandatory. I can assure you that I don't have Krinklepox, though." Hermione told him. Brent smiled.

"I'm sure you don't." he said.

Brent led Hermione out again and put her through a series of tests in the same kind of room that Ginny was in. It didn't take long before she was finished and she went back into the room. Ginny was gone because she was at the front desk, grabbing several potion recipes to keep the baby healthy. Hermione stood in the room, expecting an all clear from the Healer but when he came in, his face was no longer cheerful. Hermione felt her stomach sink a little as Brent shut the door, looking through Hermione's test results. There was a short bout of silence before Brent gestured for her to sit again. Hermione sat down slowly as he began to talk.

"Well, Mrs. Weasley, you seem to be in perfect health." Said the Healer. Hermione felt relief stream onto her face but Brent still didn't smile.

"You look like you're going to add a 'but' into that diagnosis, Mr. Brent." She observed nervously. Brent shook his head as he ran his eyes down the clipboard once again.

"Not a 'but.' Just an interesting piece of information I thought you'd like to know," Brent said. Hermione waited anxiously for him to explain himself. Brent sat a little higher in his chair. "Well, Mrs. Weasley, as I said, you're in perfect health – however when I was going over your contraceptive testing, I found that you are 80% more fertile than most women your age," He told her. Hermione's eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out what that meant. "which is quite astounding, if you ask me. You see, with your fertility, you can conceive every time you have unprotected sex, which means you're more prone to get pregnant than other women, if you were wondering." Brent said. Hermione blinked as though she didn't understand even though she did.

"So, wait, hold on," Hermione said quickly. "Am I pregnant now?" Hermione asked him hurriedly, her mind racing.

"No, no," he assured her. "But I'm glad you got a checkup today or you would have been pregnant within months of now without this information. I assume you and your husband wear protection, am I right?" he inquired. Hermione nodded.

"Yes, but it's a Muggle use of protection. It's called a condom. Do you know what it is?" She said to him. Brent chuckled.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley, I know what a condom is. We have something similar in the Wizarding world but it's not nearly as risky as a condom," he told her. He pulled out a subscription pad and wrote a one worded spell on it. "This spell is the only guaranteed birth control made so far. You simply cast it on both of the people having intercourse and it acts as a barrier for both the male genitalia and the female uterus, without taking away from the experience. Also, when you cast it on yourself, your body should glow white for a few seconds before returning to normal. That's how you figure out whether you cast it well or not. But a quick word of caution – you have to cast the spell before you have intercourse and it has to be cast every time. Furthermore, if only one of the two people engaging in sexual activity does not cast the spell, the birth control will be ineffective." He explained. Hermione tried to comprehend what he was saying whilst listening intently.

"Mr. Brent, are you positive this will work? We don't have to use a condom if we use this spell?" she asked. She was surprised that she actually could talk about her sexual activity with him like this but he was a Healer, so that seemed to convince her.

"Yes, I'm 100% sure. Besides, we don't recommend condoms as birth control anymore, seeing as they aren't always effective. I can assure you that the spell works perfectly and it lasts for as long as the two people are having sexual relations." He said easily. Hermione hesitated as he extended the prescription with the spell on it to her but then she took it and held it in her hands. "I just have one question, Mrs. Weasley," he said after that. Hermione gave a nod for him to continue. "Well, this condition that you've acquired-,"

"It's a condition?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide. Mr. Brent nodded.

"Yes, it is. But it's not extremely uncommon. You see, the condition is usually brought on when a woman has gone through tremendous trauma. Because the body worked so hard to survive whatever the stress was, it now works overtime to make sure it doesn't fail, which means you have a faster metabolism and you're also getting more hormones, which means you're producing twice the amount of ovaries and therefore makes you a very fertile woman,

"Also, I took the liberty of looking through your older files from when you last had a checkup here, which was last year, and I saw that you had not acquired the condition yet. I was just wondering whether you've gone through a traumatic experience of some sort in the last year, or even the last couple months that might have triggered it." Mr. Brent asked Hermione. Memories from Umbridge's imprisonment flooded her mind and she tried to shake them off as quickly as possible, not wanting to think about it.

After a moment, Hermione spoke again, very slowly.

"…Yes…yes, I did." She said, staring at what seemed to be nothing. Mr. Brent saw the blank expression on her face and became slightly worried.

"I'm not going to ask what it was because I don't want to pry, but would you like a Healer from Sociology to come and talk to you?" Brent asked her. Hermione shook her head hurriedly and gave him a convincing smile.

"Oh no, Mr. Brent, I'm absolutely fine. I've gotten help for it, don't worry." She assured him. Brent immediately felt better and he smiled at her once again.

"If you have any further questions, Mrs. Weasley, please don't hesitate to come back and ask. Or you can contact my office." He said quickly. Hermione nodded again and stood up, shaking the man's hand.

"Thank you for this piece of information, Mr. Brent. I'm sure it will prove most useful." She said gratefully. Brent smiled at her as he led her out.

"You're very welcome, Mrs. Weasley. Have a nice day." He bid her farewell and Hermione and Ginny left St. Mungo's.

As they climbed back out of the window in the department store, Ginny hardly noticed the troubled expression on Hermione's face. She was too busy thinking about her own news that she'd just found out. But when Hermione hadn't talked in the minutes they were walking, Ginny turned and saw her face.

"What's wrong, Hermione? Is everything okay with you health-wise?" Ginny asked. Hermione then, after much hesitation, proceeded to tell Ginny about her fertile condition that the Healer had diagnosed her with.

"And the odd thing was he thinks it was brought on by a traumatic experience." Hermione finished as they walked through town. It was lunch time so they were going to grab something to eat before heading back to her house, seeing as there was no food at her house yet.

Ginny seemed shocked to be hearing this. She stared at the side of Hermione's face as she walked.

"You don't think it was brought on by-?"

"Umbridge? Yeah, I do. I mean, what else have I gone through that's that traumatizing?" she asked. Ginny didn't have an answer for that.

"So, that's not too bad, right? It just means you're super fertile. It's not a death sentence," Ginny said but then she retraced her steps when she saw the look of worry on Hermione's face. "Is it?" she added hesitantly. Hermione sighed and shook her head.

"No, of course not, don't be foolish. I'm just concerned about my future, that's all," Hermione explained. "You see, I want to work before I have kids. I don't want to have children and have to work part time. I want to have a job and money and a secure house before I decide to have children. Ron bought the house with what little money he has from his job at _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes _and the money I got from my parent's Will. But I want to pay for my own house with the money I make. I was raised to believe that a career comes before a family and once I have a stable career then it's the right time to have children."

"Sometimes it's never the right time, though," Said Ginny hesitantly, crossing her arms over her torso. "Look at me – I was going to try out for the Quidditch Leagues after the honeymoon and now, I'm probably never going to have a job," just saying it out loud was making her depressed. "I mean, think about it – I'm going to be a mum, an actual mum, and I'm not going to have time for a job or anything. What if I'm stuck at home forever, raising my kids? I don't want to end up like my mum – not that she isn't amazing, but there's this quote I heard a couple months ago: _You are doomed to make the mistakes your parents made._ And I don't want to make the same mistakes they did. I want to work as well as raise a family. I know it'll be hard work but-,"

Hermione saw and heard the panic in her voice and quickly squeezed her hand in comfort, trying to keep her calm.

"But you'll have loads of help from Harry, from Ron and from me. We'll figure something out, don't worry." She soothed her. At the mention of Harry's name, Ginny's heart sunk a little in her chest.

"At this point, I don't think I can rely on anyone but you, Hermione," Ginny told her truthfully. "My parents are going to be pissed, Ron's ready to decapitate me and Harry…" her voice faded off. She quickly shook her head. "I'm sorry that I'm making a burden of myself, Hermione, but I really don't know who else to trust right now." she said, slightly embarrassed that she felt like crying again. Hermione stopped her and pulled her into a gentle hug, which seemed to be the only thing Ginny required to make her feel better.

"You aren't a burden, Ginny. You're my best friend and best friends help one another. Besides," Hermione pulled back with a smile on her face. "You are having my first ever nephew. I'm obligated to help in whatever means necessary. I can even turn my office into the nursery if need be." Hermione said. Ginny chuckled quietly.

"I'm hoping I can get out of your hair before then." Ginny said. Hermione smiled at her and put her arms around her shoulders.

"C'mon, let's get something to eat." Hermione said. The two of them smiled at one another and then went inside a restaurant to eat lunch.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter forty-three: Returning home 

Nothing extremely significant happened over the next couple days except Ginny going and telling her parents about her being pregnant. She decided it was best to tell them sooner rather than later seeing as they were out of the loop on everything. By this time, Fleur was very pregnant, and was about to give birth soon. Ginny gathered all of them, including Charlie and George, and told them the news. Everything seemed rather quiet right after they told them but then everyone cheered and hugged Ginny as her mother kissed her and beamed at her through watery eyes. Ginny decided to tell her mum privately about how far along she was, seeing how emotional she might get. Hermione had come with her but she didn't say much. After everyone else had gone, Ginny explained to her mother how she was four months pregnant and that she and Harry had had sex before they were married and also about Harry and Ron reacting the way they did. Although Mrs. Weasley seemed disappointed, she told Ginny that she already knew about her and Harry. She had guessed they'd had sex before. "It was the look in your eyes," Mrs. Weasley had said. "I could tell because that's how I looked after your father and I did it for the first time." And to Ginny's surprise, Mrs. Weasley didn't react as badly as she thought she would. She told Ginny that she'd have to tell her dad soon and that, as much as she wished she'd waited until marriage, it was her decision and she was an adult now. When Ginny asked whether they'd seen either Ron or Harry, Mrs. Weasley said no, but she'd look for them if need be. Ginny felt relieved and thanked her mother when she offered to help her in any way she could. Her and Hermione then went back to Hermione and Ron's house and got settled in.

After that, a few more days had past. Hermione had looked at a calendar in her kitchen earlier that day. It was May 12th – it had been 5 days and counting since Ron and Harry had gone. By now, Hermione wasn't worried about the two of them anymore. Now, she was just infuriated with both of the boys. She couldn't describe how angry she felt when she thought about what they did to the two girls and for what seemed to be for no reason whatsoever. They did nothing wrong to deserve this.

Hermione was thinking so hard that she didn't notice the books that she'd made hover in mid-air smash into the wall beside the bookcase. Ginny came running down after a moment, her eyes wide.

"What's going on in here?" Ginny asked wildly, hearing the crash of books. Hermione snapped out of her façade and watched as the books fell in a mess to the floor. Both Crookshanks and Piper hissed and yelped, narrowly avoiding the flying _Fantastic Beasts and where to find them _textbook, which had landed a few inches away from their tails. Hermione lowered her wand as Ginny came to stand beside her and she saw the books.

"Sorry Ginny," Hermione apologized quickly. "I lost focus." She said. Ginny nodded quietly, her face somewhat apologetic. In the last five days, Hermione had been a great help to Ginny, who had been getting sick all through the night and hadn't gotten much sleep.

"It's okay. Need some help?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded and put away her wand.

"Yeah. I'm done with magic for today." She told her. Hermione and Ginny then knelt down and began organizing the books that hadn't made it to the bookshelf once again. Ginny kept sneaking glances at Hermione, who was trying to look as busy as possible as she collected the books. Piper came to sit on Ginny's lap as she watched Hermione work.

"You sure do have a lot of books," Ginny commented as she looked at the massive stack of books behind her and the thirty books strewn on the floor in front of her. Hermione gave her a look.

"This is only half the books. The other half are in the downstairs bookshelf by my office." She told Ginny. Ginny felt laughter building up inside of her but she held it in as best she could. Hermione heard a little squeak of laughter escape Ginny's lips and looked over at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" she asked, not in the best mood. Ginny couldn't help it; she burst out laughing, her hand over her mouth.

"Nothing, nothing!" Ginny gasped a couple seconds later. "I just imagined that the first house you'd ever own would be filled from wall to wall with nothing but books," She said through her giggles. Hermione tried her best not to smile, trying not to show her amusement through her stony expression. "And I could just imagine you climbing over mountains of books, trying to find the door or the kitchen and you'd just be caught in all these books." Ginny said. After a few seconds of silence in which Hermione stared blankly at Ginny, she also burst out laughing at the idea of scaling over mountainous piles of books.

"You have so much faith in my hoarding ability, Ginny. Almost too much faith." Hermione said as she put the books on the floor in Alphabetical order. Ginny looked at her exquisite organization skills with a more amused look on her face than when she'd thought of the house filled with books.

"But, remember Hermione, those books would be alphabetized in order, right? From A to Z in perfect, pristine order." Ginny joked with her, grinning.

"Yes, but it has to be put in alphabetical order according to the author's last name," Hermione said to Ginny with all seriousness in her voice. "There are too many titles of books that start with the word "The." It would be so difficult finding the right book in a matter of seconds if I'm looking for _The Tales of Beetle the Bard _and I pick out _The complete works of William Shakespeare. _It would just be disastrous! And to think, if I pulled out the wrong book, the entire row of books might fall over and I'd have to reorganize them in the same alphabetical order as last time, in the same place, in the same way. Otherwise, a bookshelf is just plain chaos." Hermione said. Ginny, who'd tried to keep up with Hermione's fast voice, had her mouth hanging open just a bit, staring blankly at her.

"Okay, one: who in Merlin's name is William Shakespeare, and two: why do you make organizing books sound like they're ready to dive into an anarchy without you looking?" Ginny asked her, dumbfounded. Hermione huffed and turned back to her books.

"Alright, I admit my book organizing skills are a bit-,"

"Extreme?" Ginny suggested. Hermione gave her a glare.

"Fine. My book organizing skills might be a bit extreme, but I've always been anal about my books. They've always been the one thing I can organize without getting in the way of life, you know?" Hermione tried. Ginny stared blankly at the books for a moment.

"Anal?" Ginny thought she heard her wrong. Hermione smacked her forehead with her palm in dismay.

"Merlin's beard, Ginny, is sex all you think about these days?" Hermione asked her incredulously. Every time Hermione mentioned something that might be taken in a dirty manner, she completely ran with the idea. It was like she was always thinking about it.

"I'm sorry, okay?! Being pregnant does things to you. I can't help it!" Ginny told her defensively. Hermione rolled her eyes at her as she put the books, in alphabetical order (according to the author's last name) in the bookshelf.

"Oh yes, I forgot – raging hormones. I hope that never happens to me." Hermione added quietly under her breath. Ginny handed her the books, but stared at her face.

"And why not? Maybe you'd get some pleasure out of your imagination if you did!" Ginny said. Hermione gave her a look.

"I don't need an imagination to get pleasure, Ginny." Hermione told her. Ginny turned away to pick up another book without her seeing the sly smirk on her face, knowing this would get Hermione going.

"And I don't need 'books' to get pleasure." Ginny said, just loud enough for Hermione to hear.

"_Ginny Weasley!"_

"What?" Ginny said innocently, turning with another book to see a shocked Hermione.

"I do _not _use books to have pleasure!"

"Then what do you use?" Ginny asked her, a hand on her hip, smirking. She just wanted to see how she'd answer. Hermione's cheeks were the color of tomatoes.

"I don't use anything-!"

"Nothing? You don't pleasure, Hermione?" Ginny pushed, seeing how frazzled she was getting. Hermione now looked like she could turn into a beet at any moment.

"O-Of course. I mean, no. I mean, just," she exhaled sharply. "Butt out, Ginny." She turned back to her organized bookshelf. Ginny chuckled quietly to herself.

"Butt out," Ginny said smugly to herself, earning a piercing glare from Hermione. She put her hands up in surrender. "Alright, fine, fine! I'll stop! I'm sorry that your bookshelf looks like it belongs to a person with OCD." She said, quickly changing the subject. Hermione sighed impatiently.

"I am OCD when it comes to my books, Ginny. After all these years, I thought you'd actually have noticed that." she said. Ginny giggled and pecked Hermione on the cheek.

"Of course I noticed. I just haven't said anything until now. I've heard people with OCD get testy when they mention their little 'obsessions'," Ginny said as she flounced out of the way of Hermione's oncoming elbow and she walked into the kitchen with a smirk on her face. "I'll make us both lunch!" she volunteered. Hermione rolled her eyes at her as she flounced away and turned back to her books once again. Ginny continued to talk from the kitchen. "You know, that organization system isn't going to work in the long run, Hermione. Think about who you're married to," Ginny said loudly as she prepared lunch. "I mean, Ron doesn't even bother organizing his Quidditch magazines! How do you think he's going to put the books back in order. I bet he doesn't even know how to alphabetize."

Ginny had brought up Ron, much to Hermione's chagrin, too many times over the past five days, just to spite him. Ginny was, of course, furiously angry at Ron because of the whole incident he caused and she was getting back at him by insulting him and talking about him to Hermione, who didn't find it very funny at all. As much as Hermione was also furious with Ronald, she didn't like how she was insulting things such as his intelligence, his common knowledge and how Ginny was bringing up parts of the past that needed to be laid to rest. It was just Ginny's way of coping with her anger which, unlike Hermione's way, was completely inside her body. She never showed just how much she hated her brother right now because she knew that if she did, Hermione would call her on it. And even if Hermione did call her on it, Ginny knew she could just say 'Well, it's obvious that you're furious with him too, so you can't say anything,' and get away with it. Plus, having all of those hormones in her body was making Ginny especially moody some days, but she just didn't show it. She would just ramble on about how stupid Ron was. Hermione knew that she didn't dare bring up Harry, or all Hell would break loose.

"Of course he knows how to alphabetize," Hermione stuck up for him half-heartedly. "He's just-,"

"Too lazy to care, yeah." Ginny finished for her. Hermione couldn't help but agree with her internally. He really _was_ too lazy to care about alphabetizing books. That's why Hermione wanted to do it by herself.

"Well, I think Ron is too lazy to care about my books to ever touch them," Hermione said as she put the second row of books in the shelf. "So I guess I won't have to worry about that."

"Yeah, I guess you won't. Although, he might have to grab a certain book. But he'll probably just put it on the ground or something. He doesn't care about books." Ginny said. Hermione sighed and looked at the cover of her copy of _Anne of Green Gables _that her mum had read to her when she was little. She was scared that somehow some of her favorite books might end up on the floor or something might happen to them that would ruin them. She swallowed nervously and put the book on the shelf, trying not to think about it.

"Well, maybe a protective enchantment might work on the books." Hermione said.

"Against Ron? He casts a spell and the whole bloody room ignites into flames! How are your books going to be protected from his clumsy spell-casting?" Ginny asked from the kitchen. Hermione was about to answer but another voice did, which confused her for a moment because the only other beings in the house were cats and they couldn't talk.

"That's easy. I'll just not go near them."

Hermione froze, her arm extended to place another book on the shelf. She knew that voice. She spun around to see a windswept tuft of ginger hair ascend from the foyer staircase by the front door and then she saw Ron's face, filled with withheld anger. Hermione felt hateful lava boil in the pit of her stomach as Ron stood a couple meters away from her, in different clothing than he had been in when he left their honeymoon destination five days ago. As soon as Ron saw Hermione rooted on the spot with her anger, some of his fury drained from his freckly face. In this period of time, Ginny had heard Ron's voice and had come sprinting out of the kitchen with a butter knife in her hand. She looked furiously at Ron, who didn't notice her until she spoke.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Ginny growled at him through clenched teeth. Ron's eyes flickered to her but he couldn't seem to hold his gaze there. He stared elsewhere and refused to answer her. Hermione looked at Ron with burning eyes, knowing this wasn't going to end well for him. One furious girl and another furious _and _hormonal girl were about ready to behead him.

"Why did you come back?" Hermione hissed at him.

"Because Neville convinced me to." Ron told her, his tone also angry, but slightly hesitant. Hermione seemed slightly taken aback by his answer.

"You were with Neville?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah, and Luna. They know about this thing now too. I had to explain it to them, don't be angry." He added when Ginny looked about ready to take the butter knife and throw it at him.

"How could I not be angry, Ron?! You ruined everything!" Ginny yelled furiously at him. "I haven't seen Harry in five days and he's probably not coming back because _you _overreacted, you bleeder!"

"Oh, I wouldn't talk, you liar!" Ron yelled at Ginny but Hermione cut in, her fury rising above normal.

"Don't you _dare _call her a liar, Ronald Weasley!"

Ron turned to Hermione, immediately shrinking back. "Don't you dare! You caused this! Nobody else did! Now, leave your sister out of this! This is between you and me!" Hermione yelled. Ron couldn't move as Hermione advanced on him. "You left me on our honeymoon, Ronald. On our _bloody honeymoon _and I didn't hear from you for days! Haven't we gotten over this already? This running off like a coward and hiding until someone convinced you to come back?!" Hermione asked him wildly. "This has happened far too many times, Ronald! How do you even expect me to trust you with something more serious than this if you can't stay and face your problems! And this wasn't even a problem, Ron! This was me telling you something that apparently should be withheld from you!"

"Withheld from me?! I'm her brother!"

"Then you should have been supportive of her, Ron!"

"C'mon, Hermione! That's not fair! You can't tell me you expected this of her!"

"Guys," Ginny piped in half-heartedly. "I'm still here, you know."

Ron gave her a glare that told her that she shouldn't be here. Ginny ground her teeth at him but decided that she didn't want to be here when Hermione blew up and she left to go to her room, leaving Ron alone. He seemed considerably more scared now that Ginny wasn't here to verbally bash.

"You're right, Ron, I didn't expect it," Hermione continued, not noticing her absence. "But I didn't beat up her husband for having sex with her-!"

"Oh, come _on! _He deserved it!"

"No, he didn't! He had sex with his wife, Ron-!"

"Before they were married!" Ron exclaimed, his arms up incredulously. Hermione decided to calm down a bit. She looked at him with her brown eyes, not backing off the argument. She made sure her voice was just the right pitch to make him terrified.

"Ronald, may I remind you," Hermione said, her voice low and deadly calm. "That we also had sex before we were married?"

"Pfft! That was once!" Ron brushed it off.

"Actually, it was three times, Ron," Hermione said with an as-a-matter-of-fact tone to her voice. "And may I remind you that you initiated that?"

"_I _initiated?! _I initiated! _What's that supposed to mean, you didn't enjoy it?!" Ron said loudly.

"Of course I enjoyed it, Ron! I had been waiting for it for five bloody years!" Hermione burst. Ron backed off a bit. "You make me sound like some heartless wretch! You know how much I care about you! But it's almost like you don't remember that sometimes!"

"I try to." Ron mumbled, staring at his feet. Hermione looked at him, her anger not peaking anytime soon.

"Look. You need to apologize to Ginny and Harry, alright?" she said. Ron looked up at her with utter outrage on his face.

"What?! Why do I have to apologize to them?! They're the ones who-,"

"Just stop, Ron," Hermione told him angrily. "Just stop. That's the deal, okay?"

"Or what?" Ron crossed his arms. Hermione stared at him for a moment, coming up with the perfect comeback.

"Or you'll be sleeping on the couch." She said simply. Ron's outrage grew as he watched her turn away and towards the stairs.

"_What?! _You're going to kick me out of my own bed?! This is our house!" Ron exclaimed outraged. Hermione turned on him.

"_Our _house, Ron! Mostly paid with _my _money! Don't try to pin this on me. You did this to yourself." She turned to leave again.

"B-but, _they_ did this to _me!"_ Ron exploded. Hermione turned around, trying to stay calm.

"Either apologize to Harry and Ginny or make a new friend with the couch. You choose. I don't care one way or the other." Hermione started walking up the stairs.

"Oh please! You do so! You won't last without me! You'll want me in your bed again tonight!" Ron said as a fleeting stab at winning the argument. Hermione turned back one last time.

"Maybe so. It isn't my fault you left halfway through our honeymoon. So, yes, I think I'd want you in my bed, but this is serious. If you can't apologize for something that you did, I'm sorry but you have to fix this. I love you, Ron, but I don't want someone who does that to somebody he's close to sleeping with me right now." Hermione said. Ron looked at her as she turned and walked up the stairs. His shocked eyes watched as Hermione went upstairs to her room and vanished for the rest of the night.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter forty four: Happy Mother's day!

The next three days that passed were some of the most awkward and tense of Hermione's entire existence. Ron decided it wise to keep out of the girl's way as Hermione unpacked her stuff and he kept his word on not touching her books. Hermione and Ron had several painfully awkward encounters where it seemed like they were married but they were really angry at one another so it seemed like they weren't. She and Ron had figured out a way to communicate and say where they wanted to put packed objects whilst avoiding eye contact and not having to be in each other's presence for more than five minutes at a time. Ron did what he pleased, although he was still unpacking his stuff. He made sure to unpack his stuff in he and Hermione's room but obviously he kept away from everything that she owned so she couldn't accuse him of anything whatsoever.

It was May 13th today. When Hermione realized this, she felt odd, like she was missing something and when she glanced at her calendar, she realized it was Mother's day today. As soon as she saw this, she felt that familiar pain in her chest. Of course, Mrs. Weasley had planned to come over with the entire family today to see them all. Also, Fleur and Bill had had their baby now, so they'd be coming over. Hermione began to feel the pain grow when she thought about her mother, but she pushed it aside, not wanting to dwell on it. What Hermione didn't realize that Ginny knew it was mother's day until she came up to collect the laundry hamper from the guest room and saw Ginny lying in bed, looking quite distraught indeed.

"Ginny?" Hermione said as she peaked at her with the hamper on one hip. "Ginny, are you okay?"

There was no answer. Hermione blinked for a moment before she set the basket down and sat on the bed beside Ginny. She put a light hand on her shoulder.

"Ginny?" she repeated. Ginny didn't stir, but she was awake.

"I never imagined it'd happen like this," Ginny said, breaking the silence. Hermione looked at her with curious eyes. "I never thought I'd be spending Mother's day alone."

Hermione finally realized why she was upset and looked around at her.

"You're not alone, Ginny. Your mum is coming, and so is the whole family." Hermione stated. Ginny didn't look at Hermione as she stared at the opposite wall tiredly.

"You know that's not what I mean, Hermione," Ginny said quietly. Hermione fidgeted uncomfortably as she continued. "It just seems like he's never coming back. He said he needed time to think, to understand what was going on but I can't believe that. What if he doesn't come back, Hermione? What if I have to do this all by myself?" The hysteria in her voice was rising. Hermione shushed her gently as her hand began to shake with Ginny's trembling shoulders.

"You won't have to," Hermione assured her truthfully. "You've known Harry for as long as I have, Ginny, and everyone knows that Harry Potter isn't a quitter. He's not just going to leave you; this is his child and he loves you. He's scared, everyone is. We just want the best for you, okay? Harry _will _come back," Hermione forced her to look into her eyes. The grip tightened on her shoulder for emphasis. "I promise you that."

Ginny stared at Hermione for a moment but the pep talk didn't seem to work as Hermione planned because right after she said that, Ginny simply turned away again and curled back into her blankets. Hermione watched her turn away and felt sadness leak into her again. She took a deep breath and got up again, picking up the basket of laundry. Hermione quietly left and shut the door behind her.

Traveling down the stairs, Hermione went back to doing the laundry. The clock seemed to be moving so fast now and Hermione had to get the house ready for the family to come over but as she cleaned, all Hermione could think about was Ginny and Harry. Much of the questions she had running around in her head were impossible to answer by herself. She tried to just focus on the cleaning but soon enough, Ron came downstairs. Hermione turned around when she heard footsteps coming close to her. She caught Ron's eyes briefly and swallowed, then looked away again. Ron hesitated but he stepped towards her tentatively. When he did, Hermione ignored him.

"Is there something you need?" Hermione asked him, busy folding a blanket. Ron shrugged, his hands in his pocket.

"No, not really. I was just wondering what I could help with." Ron said quietly. Hermione paused, her arms up in midair as she folded the blanket. After a moment of shocked silence, she continued folding it. _He wanted to help?_

"You want to help clean the house?" Hermione asked, her eyes glued to the blanket. Ron nodded silently.

"Yeah, I do."

"What brought this on?" Hermione questioned him. Ron shrugged again and sat on the couch where she was folding laundry. He fiddled with the wicker basket.

"I dunno. I just didn't think you should do it all by yourself. It is my family coming over, after all." Ron said.

"_Our _family," Hermione mumbled, still folding. She picked up another piece of clothing as she spoke. "Besides, don't you have to unpack still?"

"No, I just finished."

"Well, then, why don't you go and play Quidditch or something." Hermione suggested in a slightly crabby tone.

"I don't want to play Quidditch, Hermione. I want to help clean the house." Ron told her honestly. Hermione looked around at him but didn't meet his eyes.

"Okay then," she gave in. "Help me fold the clothes." She ordered. Immediately, Ron began folding clothes. The silence cut like sharp knives into Hermione. All she wanted to do was kiss him, hug him. This wasn't worth the silence, but even though she wanted to, Ron spoke first.

"Hermione," he began. "Can we just talk about this?"

There was a pause before she spoke.

"That depends – what is there left to say?" she said at last.

"Everything," Ron said softly. "Look, I want to make things right, but every time I think about it, it's like someone lights a fire inside my chest and I can't force the words out."

"Well, then, find a way to put out that fire, Ronald, because the rules I set still stand and they'll continue to stand as long as you don't fix this." Hermione said forcefully. However, before Ron could answer, the doorbell rang. Hermione glanced up the stairs as though she'd see who it was and then sighed and handed him the half empty wicker basket. "Here. If you want to be helpful, fold these and put them in the drawers." She said. Hermione stood and made her way upstairs where she glanced up to the second level to see if Ginny had heard the doorbell. When she saw nobody, she went over to the door and opened it to reveal a very worn and tired individual who was carrying an abnormally large amount of plastic bags. It took Hermione less than a second to realize who this was: Harry was standing at her front door.

A weighted silence filled the air as the two friends met each other's eyes. Hermione felt so many emotions at once, her head was spinning. Finally, Harry made the first move.

"Hullo Hermione." He said quietly. Hermione listened to his voice – it was as though he'd never left.

Hermione cleared her throat and swallowed, trying to find her voice.

"Hey," she said faintly. "Come on in." she stepped aside so that Harry could enter the foyer. As soon as he did, she shut the door again and Harry put down the bags.

"Hermione," he started. "I'm-,"

Before he could finish his sentence, Hermione had flung her arms around his neck and pulled him into an embrace.

"Thank you for coming back today." she whispered. Harry blinked, but hugged her back.

"Er…you're welcome?" he said questioningly. Hermione pulled back, practically beaming.

"You do realize what day it is today, right?" she asked. Harry shook his head.

"No. What day is it?"

"Mother's day, Harry. It's Mother's day." Hermione said ecstatically. Harry thought about that for a moment before it dawned on him. He smiled and bent down to pick something out of the many bags he had.

"That works out perfectly." He said, showing Hermione a stuffed bunny rabbit that was obviously meant for an infant. Hermione beamed down at it.

"You don't realize how much this'll mean to Ginny. She's been miserable ever since you left."

"So have I," said Harry, bending down to put the bunny back in the bag. "I felt horrible for leaving right after I left but I had to think about things. It kind of freaked me out, you know? It still does. I don't know how to be a father – I was never taught or shown by anyone. I guess I just didn't want to be a disappointment to Ginny." Harry admitted. Hermione gave him the biggest smile ever.

"Oh, Harry, you could never be a disappointment to her! Besides, nobody knows how to be a parent until they are. So, don't worry – we'll all help you along the way." Hermione said as he smiled.

"Thanks, Hermione. It means a lot. And thanks for looking after Ginny while I was gone. I owe you one." Harry said with a grin. Hermione rolled her eyes and kissed Harry's cheek.

"Oh, honestly! The only thing you owe me is a good conversation with your life. Now, get your arse up those stairs, Harry Potter! She's in the room at the very end of the hall." Hermione shoved the bags into his arms and nudged him to the staircase. Harry grinned and went up the stairs as Hermione stopped at the bottom. Once he was faced with the space between himself and the room Ginny was in, his smile vanished. He swallowed and made his way forwards. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

Ginny was lying in the same position she'd been in when Hermione had come to check on her. She heard the door open and she stirred out of her stillness. Sitting up, she looked over to see Harry standing there, his arms full of bags. Her entire body froze in shock as their eyes met and she felt herself go warm and then cold very fast. She couldn't speak. They just stared at one another for a long time, speaking through their eyes.

Then Harry finally moved. He stepped forward, his gaze only on her.

"Ginny," he said quietly. "I'm sorry…I made a mistake by leaving you like that. I didn't know what to do – I wasn't expecting it and it scared me."

When Ginny didn't respond in any way, other than blinking, Harry began to feel worry climb his throat. His head quickly scrambled to try and find something to do.

"Look, here-," he rushed forwards and put the multiple bags on the bed at her feet, opening them to expose loads of baby clothes, baby toys and diapers and everything. His hands grabbed whatever they came across and he showed it to her, putting it on the bed. Ginny sat up straighter, looking at all the baby stuff. "I went and bought a whole bunch of stuff for the baby. I didn't really know what to buy, so I asked the saleslady on her opinion," he held up a pink and a blue baby jumper "I didn't know whether it was a boy or a girl so I just got one of every color but I'm sure I can exchange it. I wanted to make sure I got almost everything that we need but I wasn't sure how much that would be. I-I just wanted to help." Harry said quietly, watching Ginny's face as she took in all the clothes and baby supplies. He caught her eye finally. "I'm sorry for leaving, Ginny. I was scared. I was honestly too scared – all of these questions kept popping into my head. I don't even know whether I'm going to be a good father, Ginny. I've never been taught by anyone and I didn't want to disappoint you, but one thing is for certain: I want to be there, and I'm willing to learn because I love you so much." Harry said quickly.

Ginny stared at the clothes and then up at him for a long period of time. She stared into his green eyes and then grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulled him in, and gave him the most fiery, passionate kiss she could muster. Harry was slightly taken aback, but then he melted into the kiss, closing his eyes and pulling Ginny close in his arms. Ginny ran her hands through his already messy black hair, working her lips against his skillfully. When the two of them pulled apart, both of them were slightly breathless. Ginny rested her forehead against Harry's, staring into his eyes.

"I love you," she muttered quietly through her quick breaths. "Thank you for coming back." she said, her voice filled with relief and joy. Harry smiled and stroked her cheek before he kissed her lips softly again. Ginny smiled against the kiss and then she pulled back. "Oh, and by the way, we won't be needing that pink jumper," Ginny's smile grew brighter. "It's a boy."

Harry felt himself go warm inside as he stared at his wife. He looked into her eyes as the word 'boy' bounced off his skull. He felt scared and unprepared, but somehow excited and happy at the same time and, as he kissed Ginny and held her close again, he realized that even if he didn't know how to be a father, he'd learn and that this was exactly where he was meant to be.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter forty five ~ Fix it

_Dear Professor McGonagall,_

_I am very pleased to inform you that I will be able to begin teaching as soon as possible. I know it is very late in the term and that I will probably be starting as Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts in the fall, but I wanted to send you this Owl to tell you personally. I sincerely hope everything is going well and I look forward to working for you._

_ Yours truly, Hermione Weasley._

Hermione blew on the page to help the ink dry and read it over once before she put it in the envelope and sealed it with wax. She looked around for Pig, Ron's owl, and saw he was nowhere to be seen.

"Pig! Pig, come here!" she called. Soon, she heard twittering from Ron's room and the little brown owl fluttered over and perched itself on Hermione's shoulder, hooting gleefully. Hermione smiled and petted his head before giving the letter to him. Pig took it in his tiny beak. "There you go. Can you take this to Hogwarts to Professor McGonagall?"

Pig hooted quietly in response, his big eyes intent on her face. Hermione smiled and led him to the open window and she let him fly off. She stared out of the window, watching him leave. She watched until he was a tiny brown speck against the blue sky but her peaceful moment was interrupted when she felt someone come up behind her. Familiar arms wrapped around her waist and she felt herself go warm inside. She let herself enjoy the touch for a couple of seconds before she edged out of the arms and turned to face Ron. When she faced him, Ron's face seemed disappointed but as though he expected it.

"May I help you?" she asked, her tone light. She wasn't angry at him anymore, not really – she was more frustrated than anything.

"Just wondered what you were doing," Ron mumbled awkwardly. He glanced at the window. "Where'd you send Pig?"

"To McGonagall," Hermione said, striding back into the kitchen to put away her quill and ink. Ron followed her. "I wrote her a letter to tell her I was ready to work again."

"What? Why would you do that?" Ron asked, like he didn't understand. Hermione turned with a raised eyebrow.

"Because…I _am _ready to work." she said slowly. Ron looked more disappointed.

"You really have to go to work right away? I mean, we were just married. We just came back from our honeymoon."

"Our honeymoon could have been longer if you hadn't left." Hermione snipped as she washed her quill tip under the sink. Ron groaned and grabbed at his hair.

"Oh, c'mon Hermione, don't be like that! I said I was sorry, didn't I?"

"Do you know what 'I'm sorry' means, Ron?" Hermione asked, turning on him.

"'Course. It means I did something wrong and I want to fix it." he said easily. Hermione shook her head.

"No. I'm sorry means you won't do it again. So, this is the question, Ron: will you do it again?" Hermione asked him.

Ron looked at her with bewilderment on his face.

"No, of course not, but-,"

"Look – moral of the story: if you're going to do something wrong and then apologize for it, make sure you mean it because it's just going back on a promise if you do it again." Hermione said firmly as she put her quill back in its holder and went to stride out of the kitchen. A long hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. She sighed impatiently and looked over at Ron.

"Hermione, please-,"

"Have you talked to Harry yet?" Hermione asked simply. Ron flinched as though he was remembering a bad memory.

"No, but-,"

"But what? Are you planning to?"

"Well, yeah, I just haven't decided _when_ yet." Ron said quietly. Hermione nodded, expecting that answer.

"So, in other words, you're just going to wait for him to come to you." Hermione said smoothly, her eyebrow raised. Ron's eyes widened in exasperation.

"No!"

"Then why don't you go right now and fix it?"

"Because!"

"Because, why?"

"Because he's probably busy." Ron said shortly. Hermione crossing her arms.

"With what?" she inquired dryly. Ron shot her a look.

"How am I supposed to know? He's probably busy with baby stuff." Ron muttered. Hermione gave him a look back.

"And what are you busy with?" drilled Hermione.

"Nothing!" Ron exclaimed. Hermione leaned back, a sly smirk on her face, knowing she'd won the argument.

"Then go and get your best friend back." Hermione ordered simply. Ron's face went red with anger.

"I don't want to!" Ron whined, acting almost child-like. Hermione raised her eyebrow again and sighed. She had an idea.

"Fine. I guess tonight's off then." She said with fake disappointment. Ron came out of his anger, his face contorting with confusion.

"What's tonight?" Ron asked. Hermione shrugged, turning away, giving him a nice view of her behind as she walked.

"Oh, it was nothing. I'd just hoped that you could have fixed this thing with Harry by now and we could have a-," Hermione turned her head back to look at him slowly. "-romantic night off…" Hermione ended seductively. Ron blinked in stunned silence, staring at Hermione for a moment. He understood what was happening now.

"…So, if I do it before tonight…" Ron started. Hermione put a hand on Ron's chest and trailed her fingers down, her eyes following her hand.

"You and I will have a fun time." Hermione finished. She peeked up through her lashes at him, biting her lip. Ron tensed up, his eyes filling with determination. Finally, he spoke.

"Okay, okay," Ron said. "I'll be right back." He pecked Hermione on the lips, put on his shoes and ran out the door, grabbing his wand and Disapperating to Harry's house, leaving a smirking Hermione behind him.

Meanwhile, in the Potter household, Ginny was feeding the cat, which'd grown very fond of Harry. Harry was putting up some photos of the two of them and some of the wedding pictures they'd gotten from the photographer. The pictures moved, and most of them were of Harry holding Ginny, or kissing her. He had a couple of pictures from their dates they went on after the war and also a photo of the two of them in their sixth year in a Quidditch team photo. There were also pictures of the Weasley children, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Teddy Lupin, Neville and Luna and a few other of his friends. He had a ton of pictures of Ron and Hermione, but every time he picked up a picture with Ron in it, his stomach gave a little twinge of guilt. Harry turned with another picture of him and Hermione and hung it on the wall.

Suddenly, there was a knock on their door and Harry stopped what he was doing to go over to open it. When he saw who was at the door, he was mildly surprised.

"Oh, hello Ron." Harry said stiffly, looking at his ginger brother-in-law. Ron looked rushed and almost out of breath.

"Can we go get a Firewhisky?" he panted desperately. Harry's black eyebrows pulled together while Ginny snuck a look around the corner to see who was at the door.

"Uh, sure." Harry said confusingly. He turned to look at Ginny, who'd heard that and had now seen that it was indeed her brother at the door. "Is it okay if I go, Ginny?"

"I don't see why not," Ginny said stiffly, staring at Ron. She turned to face Harry. "I don't run your life." She turned back into the kitchen, Piper following at her heels. Harry gave a very hesitant glance before grabbing his wand and following Ron outside.

They went to the little pub that led to Diagon Alley and sat down. Both boys ordered a Firewhisky. While they waited for it to come, Ron stared awkwardly down at the table, trying to figure out where to start.

"So, er," Harry started for him, seeing how anxious he was. "What are we here for?"

"I – uh, I came to apologize," Ron said. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did to you. It was wrong of me." it didn't sound as sincere as Hermione was expecting, and Harry had a feeling that the only reason Ron was apologizing was because he wanted to get back on Hermione's good side. Harry remembered a conversation he and Hermione had over the phone a couple days ago also. She told him to not accept any apology that Ron gave if it wasn't absolutely sincere. _He's going to try and rush through this, Harry, _Hermione had said. _You need to make sure he means it. You two need to fix this. You two are best friends. You can't stay mad at each other forever._

Even if Harry found this slightly hypocritical of Hermione, seeing as most of the time that he'd known her, she and Ron would be having a row, but he agreed. He wasn't as mad at Ron anymore, and he intended on apologizing too – maybe if he said he was sorry and mended his part, Ron would see that he wronged Harry too.

"Well, thanks, mate," Harry said after a moment of silence. "I'm sorry too."

Ron stopped avoiding eye contact and looked at Harry with confused blue eyes.

"…You're sorry?" Ron said, his tone perplexed.

"Yeah, 'course," said Harry easily. "I'm sorry I didn't wait to have sex with your sister until marriage. It was wrong of me – I should have told you, or said something at least."

Ron blinked, looking satisfied with the apology. However, there was a hesitance in the back of Ron's eyes that Harry saw. Apparently, he wanted to get some things off his chest too.

"Apology accepted. Just saying, though, I wouldn't have been angry if you told me about you and Ginny – I just would have been surprised." Ron admitted. Harry raised his eyebrow.

"I wasn't surprised when you told me about you and Hermione. I mean, it was sort of obvious with both of you."

Ron's ears turned a dark shade of pink.

"Was it?"

"Yeah, mate. And it was obvious with Ginny and I too. I just thought you'd have asked me first. I mean, think about it: if I had a sister, and you and her had sex then how would you feel telling me about that?" Harry inquired.

Ron flinched away from the thought.

"Uh, probably pretty bloody terrified, to be honest." Ron admitted. Harry gave him a nod as the waiter set down to Firewhiskys next to them. Ron immediately took a gulp and winced as it burned down his throat.

"Exactly – and I'm not saying that what I did was right by any means – hiding something like that from you is one of my biggest regrets. But you have to see my point of view too." Harry told Ron, who looked at him as Harry took a swig of his drink.

"How?" Ron asked.

"Well, think about this for a second: you barged in on my honeymoon and made your sister and I feel like crap for having sex with one another. Then, you left Hermione all by herself to mend everything up."

"But so did you!" Ron objected, pointing his bottle at Harry. "You left too! You left my sister alone!"

"She wasn't alone – she was with Hermione, Ron," Harry reminded him. "Besides, I've apologized to Hermione and Ginny about that. They've forgiven me; now I just want to know if you can forgive me too."

There was a long bout of heavy silence as Ron stared at Harry, contemplating his decision. Finally, Ron heaved a heavy sigh and nodded.

"I forgive you, mate." Ron said gruffly. Harry felt the little anxious ball of worry melt off his chest and he gave him a smile.

"Thanks, Ron." He said.

Ron nodded awkwardly. It looked as though he wanted to say something more than what he had, so Harry waited for him to say something, taking another drink of his Firewhisky. When Ron was ready (after downing half of his drink) he spoke again.

"And, y'know, I'm sorry about that stuff too," Ron said without taking his eyes off the bottle in his hand. "Like, I'm sorry about leaving, and blaming you for getting my sister pregnant…"

Harry continued to wait, his eyes patiently resting on the nervous redhead.

"…And-and, you know," Ron continued slowly. "…I could have been slightly angry at the fact that you didn't tell me…or maybe I could have been really angry that you didn't tell me," Ron corrected himself.

Harry smirked as Ron fidgeted with his drink bottle, drumming his hands on it. He finally sighed.

"Look, Harry, I wasn't mad that you for having sex with Ginny before marriage – you know I don't give a rat's ass about that. I just was angry that you didn't tell me about it and I told you about Hermione and me." Ron finally admitted to Harry.

"I know, Ron, and I'm sorry for that. I really am. If I could do it over again, I would, but I can't." Harry said simply. Ron nodded and quietly snuck a glance up at Harry.

"…Can you, uh…can you forgive me for being a git to you?" Ron asked Harry.

Harry stared at his best friend and a huge grin lit his face. He held out his hand to Ron, who looked a little surprised.

"Of course, mate." Harry said happily. A gigantic smile lit Ron's face as he took Harry's hand and shook it before leaning across the table to give him a quick hug. When Ron sat down, he held his bottle out to Harry, who clinked it against his, signifying the bond of their friendship had been mended.

Hermione folded down her bedcovers as she listened to Pigwidgeon twitter on the window, staring out at the ever-darkening night sky. He'd been waiting for Ron to come back for hours since he'd come back at 7:00 PM from his trip to Hogwarts. Crookshanks was, of course, standing outside of Hermione's bedroom door, guarding it. He did this every night and had been more vicious since Hermione had told Ron that he couldn't sleep in the same bed as she did until he fixed things with Harry. If Ron came anywhere close to the bedroom, Crookshanks would hiss at him and attack his legs until he retreated.

She had been waiting for hours for Ron to come back too. She didn't know what was taking him so long or why he was still out. She hoped that he'd fixed it and not gotten into another fight with Harry about this. She was too tired to do anything with him tonight even if he came back. It was too late, and Hermione was beginning to get anxious.

Hermione climbed into bed and picked up her copy of _The Teaching of Transfiguration, _a textbook that McGonagall had given to Hermione to read before the start-of-term in September. She was halfway through it, and had been trying desperately to finish it, even though she had a long time to complete it. However, every time she picked it up, it seemed as though something was stopping her. For some reason, she couldn't concentrate enough to read anything.

When Pigwidgeon hooted loudly to get Hermione's attention and then looked up at the window again, Hermione gave him a look.

"I know, Pig, okay? He should be home sooner or later," Hermione assured the tiny owl. Pigwidgeon tweeted and gave her a reproachful look. Hermione glared at the bird. "Stop looking at me like that." she said testily.

Pig hooted indifferently and quietly fluttered to his perch where he nestled down comfortably and put his head under his wing.

Hermione sighed and tried to follow his example by getting comfortable. She fidgeted as she opened the marked page of her book and let her brown eyes run over the sentences. However, a few moments later, she felt that tugging on her attention that normally occurred at this time of night. She huffed angrily and looked up from the book, completely annoyed with herself.

"Why can't you just concentrate, Hermione?" She asked herself wearily. When she couldn't come up with an answer, she sighed and tried again.

For half an hour she tried and tried to read the book but she just couldn't seem to focus whatsoever. Finally, she slammed down the book, making Pigwidgeon startle out of sleep and Crookshanks hiss from outside the door. She turned off her light and settled down in her bed, turning on her side. _Maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow, _Hermione said to herself. _Yes, I'll have better luck tomorrow. I must have better luck tomorrow._

She closed her eyes for what seemed to be the briefest of seconds before she heard footsteps on the stairs – heavy footsteps that she immediately recognized.

Ron came up to his and Hermione's bedroom and went to open the door. However, Crookshanks hissed furiously, turning on his side and going very puffy indeed. Ron looked down at the ginger cat and gave him a look.

"I fixed it, alright? I apologized. Now, let me in." he said to the cat. Crookshanks stared up at Ron with his beady eyes and then he straightened from his defensive position and took a few steps away from the door so he could go in. Ron gave him an appreciative pet before he turned the doorknob and let himself into his room, Crookshanks eying him the entire time.

Hermione heard Ron come towards the bed through the darkness. She then heard his clothes hitting the floor and him pulling on his pajama bottoms. The springs lurched quietly when Ron's body climbed into bed and Hermione felt him get under the covers. His body heat emanated from where he laid, making her normally frigid form warm for the first time in weeks. Just when Ron was settling into the bed, she felt cool lips press against her cheek and then she felt pressure beside her on the pillows. Ron didn't touch her, seeing as he thought she was sleeping and he didn't want to wake her, but he stayed close to her, just glad to be sleeping in the same bed as her again. Hermione felt herself smile a little.

"Thank you for not kicking Crookshanks." Hermione mumbled through the darkness. There was a small creak of the bedsprings as Ron sat up a little, figuring out that she indeed was awake after all.

"It's no problem. Besides, I'd never kick the cat." Ron told her quietly. Hermione smiled when she heard the difference in how he addressed Crookshanks; he said it was 'the cat' not 'your cat'. Hermione saw it as a good sign.

There was a few moments of silence that didn't weigh on Hermione like the previous ones they'd encountered in the last few weeks.

"You fixed it, then?" she asked, even though she knew; she just wanted to hear it from him.

"Totally and completely, yes." Ron assured her. There was some more creaking of the bedsprings as Hermione turned and kissed him gently.

"Thank you." she whispered. Through the dark, she could almost hear Ron smile.

"No, thank you." Ron said softly. He cupped her face and kissed her lips for a moment before Hermione snuggled into him and Ron put a long arm around him. They both fell asleep to the familiar sounds of an ecstatic Pigwidgeon, who was happy that his owner was finally out of the doghouse and into the bed where he belonged.


End file.
